


Rumple's Mother

by shewalksonstarlight



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Flashbacks, Neverland, Peter Pan is a Little Shit, Reunions, Rumple's mom is also a little shit, Storybrooke, Wonderland, hades is also mentioned, hercules is mentioned, just ancient greece in general, she travels realms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2016-05-14
Packaged: 2018-05-12 18:14:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 30,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5675737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shewalksonstarlight/pseuds/shewalksonstarlight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So we all know who Rumpelstiltskin's father is but what about his mother?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

She had travelled a long distance and roughly three centuries to finally make it here today. With her dark hair blowing in the wind, Meg gazed upon the town where her son lived. A son she had not seen since he was a babe. The town was called Storybrooke and it wasn’t listed on any normal map. She had received a letter a few weeks ago that included a map of how to find the town. It was sent by a woman named Belle. The woman claimed that she was his wife and that it was time Rumple knew the truth. Meg thought it was a joke. There was no way that this could be the same Belle she met all those years ago. She had never told that Belle the truth. Meg may have mentioned that she had a son but never went into detail. Not to mention that the Belle she knew lived in an entirely different realm. Meg knew that it had been too long and that Belle was probably dead but she couldn’t risk the chance of never seeing her son again. She had worked too hard to keep him and herself alive. Whoever sent the letter was right, it had been too long and her son deserved the truth. Even if it was an ugly truth with a price that she would have to pay.  
Part of her ached knowing that he had no idea that she was alive. How could he? For many years, Meg had lived on the run with few people to help her. She had made friends along the way but most were for convenience and ended poorly. Her heart was filled with regret but she told herself that she did what she had to do to survive. The only solace she had was that she would get an opportunity like this one which is why it didn’t matter if this “Belle” wasn’t the one she knew.  
She looked at the map again and traced her finger along the paper to see where she was going to be meeting this woman. According to the map, she only had a few hundred feet left to walk. Meg placed the map and the letter back into her bag and started to pick up the pace. Her heart was racing and her palms were sweating. This was the closest she had been to reuniting with her son. Any other time she came close, something stopped her. She could see someone in the distance. The figure was clearly a female. Of course she is, Meg thought, it’s that woman named Belle. The woman was standing in front of a car. She didn’t realize how right she was until she was about twenty feet away. It was the Belle from her memories. Belle was still bright eyed and young. She was obviously excited to see Meg.  
She had to stop for a moment and catch her breath. Meg needed to process what was going on. She didn’t really believe anything until now because she had been running for so long. She had run from pirates, horrible creatures, and even Gods. Those were distractions from who she was really running from. Meg was running from her husband who now went by the name Peter Pan. She had allowed him to take everything away from her including her hope. No longer would he get the satisfaction of seeing her run. No longer would she stay away from her son and his family. She knew that if she stayed here that Pan would eventually follow. He might show up tomorrow or next week but she wasn’t running anymore. Meg was done running. She took a deep breath and walked the last twenty feet and hugged her old friend.  
“How? How did you survive all these years?” Meg choked out. Belle pulled away and looked at her with a soft expression.  
“We can discuss that later but if I remember correctly, I made you a promise many years ago that I would reunite you with your son.” Belle responded. It didn’t exactly answer her question but Meg was too excited to hash out the details. She nodded and they got into the car. Meg continued to take deep breaths to try to slow down her heart rate a little.  
“So where did you come from?” Belle asked. Belle didn’t know the whole situation but Meg guessed she had pieced some things together. She was clever like that. Belle had known that Meg was running from something or someone. All those years ago, Meg had been foolish enough to try and convince her friend that she was just a traveler. Belle had known better. She knew it was useless to lie now. If she knew that Meg was Rumple’s mother then she knew that Meg was married to Pan.  
“I’ve been laying low in Boston for about 5 years.” Meg replied. Belle looked surprised.  
“You’ve been in Boston this whole time? Pan didn’t look for you while he was alive? You never looked for your son?” Belle questioned.  
“Pan never looked for me because he’s not interested in a world without magic. Which reminds me, if I’m staying in Storybrooke and there is magic like you said, then Pan will come looking for me. He wants a fight where he thinks he has the advantage which is why he needs a place with magic. It could be tomorrow or next week but he will come here.” Meg told Belle. Meg chose to ignore the ‘while he was alive’ part. Belle stopped the car and stared at Meg in disbelief.  
“Pan is dead. Rumple killed him not too long ago. I’m sorry I thought you knew.” Belle replied. Meg started to laugh even though there was no humor in her voice. Belle looked concerned. Meg knew her husband wasn’t dead. Admittedly, she would laugh if he was but she knew in her heart that he was very much alive.  
“You foolish child. Peter Pan isn’t dead!” Meg exclaimed. Belle looked bewildered.  
“I saw him die. I watched, literally frozen in horror, as Rumple killed both his father and himself.” Belle stated. Meg sighed in derision. It was Meg’s turn to give Belle a softened expression.  
“What you saw was a charade. Pan wants you to think he’s dead because he’s planning his next move. I admit that this may be his best plan yet and that includes the last time he faked his death. Did he do that thing where he shifts between his former self and his reclaimed youth?” Meg asked in slight admiration. Just because she hated the man for all he was worth, didn’t mean she couldn’t admire his methods.  
“He…might have.” Belle replied in confusion and started the car again.  
“Yeah, he loves that trick. I don’t know where he learned it but he’s used it before. You mentioned Rumple was alive. If he killed himself and his father, how is it that he survived?” Meg asked. She already knew the answer to that question. She knew that her son was the Dark One but now was not the time to reveal all her knowledge. There’s a time and a place.  
“Well, Rumple is the Dark One. Baelfire, Rumple’s son, and I resurrected him. Meg, I assure you that Pan is dead.” Belle replied. Meg looked out the window and noticed that they were starting to make it into the actual town. If she were feeling ambitious, she would press the matter but all she can do is warn people. Whether or not they believe is another story. Belle parked the car in front of a shop with a sign that read ‘Mr. Gold Pawnbroker and Antiquities Dealer’. She followed closely behind Belle as she was led inside. Behind the counter was a man who looked much older than herself but she would recognize him anywhere. It took everything she had not to run up and hug him.  
“Belle, who’s this?” He asked. A part of her heart broke but Meg reminded herself that he was no older than two when he last saw her. Tears welled up in her eyes and she tried to blink them away.  
“She’s an old friend of mine. Rumple, I’ve spent a very long time trying to find her. A long time ago, she tried to convince me that she was just a traveler but I knew better. Travelers don’t watch their surroundings as if something bad could happen at any minute. I knew she would find her way to this world eventually. She had a reason to come to this world. This woman was looking for you.” Belle explained. Rumple looked confused. He looked at Meg.  
“Why? Why were you looking for me? Who are you?” He asked. Meg couldn’t help but compare him to Pan. They both had a temper and were extremely suspicious. She knew that was with good reason. Meg took a deep breath before answering and hoped that he voice wouldn’t fail her.  
“I’m your mother.” She replied. His expression changed from guarded and suspicious to bewildered.  
“That’s not possible. You see, my mother died many years ago. She died in another realm.” Rumple exclaimed. Meg let out a dry laugh.  
“Is that what your father told you? That I died? Well, I suppose that was easier than telling you the truth.” Meg replied with disdain .  
“And what would that be?” He demanded. She should’ve known that he would be stubborn about this. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. She let her excitement get in the way of her judgment and now her hand was forced. She realized that she would have to tell him more of the truth than she originally wanted to admit.  
“The night that I supposedly died is a little tricky to explain…” She began and quickly continued before she could be interrupted, “But I will try. We had been having some money issues. Before you were born, your father and I…well, we were frauds. We played games with people that were rigged in our favor. I’m sure he continued his charade after I was gone but with a child I realized that I could no longer continue mine. Your father was beginning to become resentful towards you because he had to grow up and be a provider for our family. He didn’t want to grow up. I had decided to leave your father and take you with me. I should’ve known better. I should’ve known that it wouldn’t be as easy as waiting for him to fall asleep and then leaving. He found out about my plan. The next night, he sold me to a pirate for a magic bean but before we could set sail your father sneaked me off the ship. He used the bean to make a portal and pushed me through it.”  
She had left a few details out of the story but he didn’t need to know those quite yet. Meg reached into her bag and pulled out a raggedly old blanket. On the side was stitched the name ‘Rumpelstiltskin’.  
“He never checked my bag and as a result, I got to keep this all these years.” Meg stated and handed him the blanket. He took it and examined it for a moment. She waited in anticipation. When he looked back at her, there were tears in his eyes.  
“Mom.” He whispered. She nodded and pulled him in for a hug. Meg pulled away.  
“He’s not dead. I know you think you killed him but he’s still out there. Once he finds out I’m here, he will come looking for me. He will come here. It’s only a matter of time.” Meg warned. She expected her son to react the same way Belle did.  
“The prophecy was very clear. We both had to die.” He stated.  
“And you both did. Kind of. The problem with prophecies is that they sometimes have loopholes. You did kill him but not in the ‘you killed him and everyone can live happily ever after’ kind of way. It was more of a ‘you killed him but when you came back to life so did he’ kind of way. He sent me a reminder the other day that he was still after me. A red rose with a note that said ‘For the prettiest Rose I ever did see’. He’s the only one who knew me by that name. I haven’t been called that since the night I left.” Meg replied. She reached into her bag and pulled out the rose and the note. She wasn’t fond of being called by her given name, Rose.  
“Let’s say I believe you and he’s not dead. Why now?” Rumple demanded.  
“He wants me dead,” Meg replied nonchalantly, “You’ve made him more unstable than he’s ever been. The fact that he’s making contact with me is proof enough of that. He hates me more than he hates you and how often did he make contact with you? And now that I’m back to a world with magic, his favorite target just came back on the grid.”  
“Wait a minute, back to a world with magic? You’ve been near this whole time?” Rumple growled. His anger was understandable.  
“Yes and we don’t have time to deal with that right now. After all of this is done, you can be as angry with me as you’d like but right now we have bigger problems. Like the issue that Peter Pan wants me dead.”  
“If Pan wanted you dead, wouldn’t you already be dead?” Belle asked. Meg nodded, not in agreement but in understanding.  
“He only kills those who aren’t useful to him or don’t provide entertainment for him. We’re all pawns in his game and the only rule is that there aren’t any rules. The sooner you learn and accept that, the easier the game becomes. At least that’s the way I’ve been taught to play his game. He may have different standards for you lot.” Meg explained.  
“So you’ve come into contact with him at some point? Why didn’t you kill him yourself?” Rumple countered. Meg sighed in annoyance. She was particularly annoyed at the next phrase she would have to utter.  
“Peter Pan never fails. They don’t say that for fun. They say it because he’s a difficult man to kill and he gets revenge on those who try to kill him. So it’s not for lack of trying.” Meg retorted. This conversation was getting nowhere and they were both on edge.  
“Look, it’s been a long day. Maybe we should see if Granny’s has a room open and we could hash this out tomorrow. Maybe we could get the others here to help.” Belle suggested. Meg wasn’t sure who she meant by others but it had been a long day. She didn’t know what or where Granny’s was but she assumed it was some kind of inn. Meg nodded reluctantly and followed her friend to the car.  
She was half right in the idea that Granny’s was an inn. It was also a diner. Belle was able to help her get a room and she thanked her friend once again before Belle had left for the night. Meg replayed in her head the night that Peter Pan, then Malcolm, had thrown her into the portal.  


Flashback

It was warm night for autumn but it was still early in the season. To be safe, she had started a fire to keep Rumple warm. Her darling boy was just under two years old at the time and the light of her life. The boy had gotten into everything in their tiny cottage so she let him play with her bag and some of the items in it while she cleaned. She mused at how easily children were entertained. The cottage didn’t take long to clean because there wasn’t much in it. She placed the child on her lap while she repacked her bag. She placed his blanket in there last so it would be easier to find if he got cold.  
This was the night she had waited for in both anticipation and dread. It was the night that she was going to leave her husband. She was hoping to be gone before he got home. She was taking her son with her. It wasn’t because she hated her husband. Although, she hated who he was becoming. They were extremely poor and he was doing his best to provide but phony card tricks can only bring in so much money. The worst part was that he blamed all his frustration on his son. She was leaving because she was afraid of what their life was becoming. She didn’t want to come home to find her son dead. She was putting their son’s needs first.  
She snuffed out the fire. She picked up the rambunctious child and blinked away the tears. She could hear Malcolm’s voice outside and she cursed herself for taking so long. Maybe if she had left the cottage a mess he would’ve thought they had been kidnapped. She quickly placed Rumple on the ground and hung her bag across her shoulder. Malcolm walked in the door.  
“What’s going on?” Malcolm demanded.  
“I was just going to take Rumple to come find you. It was getting late…” She lied and was cut off before she could finish. She took one look in his eyes and knew the game was over. He knew the truth.  
“You don’t have to leave, Rose.” He pleaded. His voice was steady and there wasn’t a lot of remorse in it. He had known this was coming. He prepared himself. That frightened Rose.  
“I’m afraid I do. It’s better for the boy…” She began but was again cut off.  
“You are NOT taking the boy.” He growled. She could’ve thrown the book at him. He had spent the last year and a half complaining about how the boy was a burden and now he WANTS the boy. She darted towards her son but Malcolm got her first. He dragged her to the door and out of the cottage. There was a man waiting outside. The man was unshaven and reeked of rum and sea water. It was hard to make out his face in the dark. She realized that it was Blackbeard. A pirate whispered about in horror on the streets and the taverns she sometimes had to pull her husband from. He was known for the terrible things he had done. She cringed into Malcolm. The worst part was that Malcolm didn’t say a word. He just handed her over and Blackbeard handed something to him. She felt herself go numb.  
She didn’t remember getting on the ship but here she was. She sat below deck and stared blankly into space. The door opened and someone walked in. Malcolm kneeled in front of her.  
“Don’t make a sound. Don’t ask questions.” He whispered. He grabbed her hand and led her out from the room she was in. They ran up the stairs. Why was the boat so empty? When they were at the top of the stairs, she saw a couple of men who were knocked out. They were probably supposed to be guarding the ship while the rest of the crew was at the tavern. Malcolm helped her onto the dock and they ran towards the woods. Once they were a safe distance away, they stopped to catch their breath. Malcolm started laughing. She thought he was losing his mind.  
“What…wh…what?” She stammered. He was still laughing. It took him a moment to collect himself.  
“I traded you to the pirate for a magic bean. It’s not worth a lot but it’s worth more than those silly card tricks. Rose, this is my best scam yet!” He explained.  
“This is exactly the kind of life I was trying to leave! You’ve just gone and made more trouble for yourself. I don’t want this life anymore. I don’t want our son to be a fraud like his parents. I want him to be an honest man and earn an honest living. I don’t want him turning out like us.” Rose exclaimed. This brought him out of his reverie. He looked hurt and then angry. He took the bean out and threw it on the ground a few feet away. A green glowing portal opened up and he pushed her in. It closed up after her.

End of Flashback

Rose, she mused, a name she tried so hard to forget. At this point she had showered and was getting ready to lay down. A part of her yearned for the simplicity of the life she once took for granted. Another part of her wonders what would have happened if she had stayed. She pushed these thoughts out of her mind. She reminded herself that she doesn’t have time to be wistful.


	2. Chapter Two

She woke up the next morning and made her bed. It was a habit of hers and she was also hoping that the polite gesture, although small, might help gain her even the slightest bit of good will. She knew her reputation was on the fence as it was because of who she was related to. Depending on who lived here, her reputation could be questionable because of what she had done in her past. She grabbed her bag and headed out to the diner. Belle was already seated and waved her over. Meg walked over to the booth and sat down.   
“Good morning. How did you sleep?” Belle asked. If she was anyone else, Meg might have been annoyed with her cheery disposition. Although she was often early to rise, Meg was not a morning person. Meg speculated the various reasons that she may not be as chipper as Belle. It could have been the many mornings she had to wake up and immediately start moving to her next destination. It could have been the few mornings –the term being used loosely because Neverland doesn’t technically have mornings—she spent on Neverland. The most likely reason being, she thinks, is that moment between waking up and reality setting in. That moment of blissful ignorance where everything is right in the world. Meg hated that. It was a hope that was quickly taken from her every morning. It was worse than hope. It was false hope.   
“I slept fine. I spent the night remembering how I got here.” Meg replied and began looking over the menu.   
“Like how you got here from Boston? Or just in general?” Belle inquired. Meg admired how intuitive she could be.  
“Just in general. I was remembering the night that this spiraling nightmare began.” She explained. Belle placed her hand over Meg’s and gave her a sympathetic smile.  
“This nightmare will come to an end. We can help you if you let us. Look, after we’re done here, we’re going to figure out what to do if Pan comes here. There are people here who have also dealt with him and might have some ideas as to how to stop him.” Belle reassured. Meg wanted to believe the sincerity in her friend’s voice but she had been down this road too many times to let herself believe. Peter Pan was powerful. His instability could help him or hinder him and until she saw him, she couldn’t tell which it was. That was what frightened her the most. Her encounters with her husband never ended well, as one could imagine.   
“That’s what I’m afraid of. There are some people here who might not be so fond of me and may not be willing to help me. I don’t know for sure if they’re here or not but I did a lot of things that I’m not proud of.” Meg confessed. She wasn’t entirely lying. She didn’t feel as bad about betraying certain people but there were some faces she never wanted to encounter again. If it meant killing Peter Pan, she would try to mend fences but people don’t respond well to being screwed over.   
“Everyone deserves a second chance. Plus, some might be more understanding about your past than you give them credit for.” Belle suggested. Meg wasn’t sure that was true.   
They ordered breakfast and talked about the years since they last saw each other. Meg made sure to leave out the particularly nasty details. It felt nice to catch up. It felt nice to know that she had a genuine friend. A genuine friend that didn’t even know her real name until yesterday. Meg was starting to realize how little Belle actually knew about her. She knew that everything would come to light soon enough. After breakfast, they went back to the pawnshop. She followed Belle into the back room where it was pretty crowded.   
“Meg?” A couple of voices questioned. She looked over to see Captain Hook and Regina. Meg was more surprised that they were in the same room together than that they were here.  
“Captain Hook, always a pleasure,” Meg greeted and he nodded. She turned to Regina, “Your majesty, it’s been a long time. I take it your quest for Snow White’s head is over?”   
“Yes, it is,” Regina began, “In fact, we’re on the same team now.”   
“How times have changed.” Meg noted. She looked around the room to try other familiar faces. She recognized Snow White from the bandit posters and she figured the man next to her had to be Prince Charming. There was a blonde woman who she didn’t recognize and a teenage boy.   
“Indeed they have. Any luck in your travels? I haven’t seen you since I sent you to Wonderland.” Regina stated. Meg’s expression tightened. She hated Wonderland.   
“Well, your mother nearly cut my head off when she discovered me trying to find that potion. She would’ve killed me had her guards not interrupted saying they found some girl named Alice. After that, she seemed to forget I was even there and left. I don’t know who Alice was or what she did but I do not envy her. I got out of Wonderland as soon as possible.” Meg informed. Regina nodded in understanding.   
“I’m sorry, who are you?” The blonde woman asked. Meg mentally scolded herself for forgetting her manners.   
“My apologies, my name is Rose. Some of you better know me as the name I go by now; Megara. I’m Rumple’s mother.” Meg introduced herself. As she expected, there were some shocked expressions.  
“Wait,” The blonde woman began, “I thought Megara was supposed to fall in love with Hercules.”   
“The real Meg was supposed to fall in love with Hercules but Zeus didn’t want his son falling in love with a mortal. Even though Hercules was mortal at the time, the Day of Judgment to decide whether or not he would be a God was coming up. Zeus was positive that his son would be a God. Apparently, he didn’t want his son to have to face the inevitable heartbreak when she died. Hercules may have been the strongest person physically but emotionally he was a hopeless romantic. So naturally, Zeus sought me to fix his problem and by sought out, I mean he forced my hand. Which wasn’t hard to do because he was a God and I’m mortal. He taught me almost everything I know about magic. He had me assume her identity. My part in it was mostly wrong place wrong time.” Meg explained. Hades had also taught her some magic but that was irrelevant.   
“If you’re assuming her identity, what happened to the real Meg?” The blonde woman asked. Meg knew that she was just trying to figure out what was going on but this woman was becoming irritating.  
“She’s dead.” Meg stated as if it was the most obvious answer.  
“How do you know that for sure?” Snow asked. Meg didn’t forget the pleasantries this time.  
“Snow White. A pleasure to finally meet you. To answer your question, I know that for sure because I’m the one who killed her. Zeus trained me for weeks before he set me loose. Before you all can ask anymore inevitable questions I should clear a few things up; Zeus and Hades only talk when Zeus needs to dispose of someone, Hercules is extremely full of himself, and yes Hercules was prophesized to defeat Hades but now his soul is forever lost in the Underworld. So that prophecy is going to be delayed until someone can find his soul. Now can we get back to the issue at hand?” Meg pleaded.   
“You conveniently forgot to mention that you’re the reason that his soul is forever lost in the Underworld. Eternal youth comes with a price. I should know, I used Rumple to get mine.” Peter Pan chimed in. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, opened her eyes, and turned around. Only a few feet away was the man she hated the most. To add insult to injury, he was smirking. She had to remind herself that everything was a game to him.   
“How did you get here so quickly?” Meg demanded. Pan took a step closer and she took a step back. His amusement grew.   
“What, no pleasantries?” Pan teased. Usually, Meg was a stickler for being polite. She may be bitter but she found that charm and wit can get you a long way.   
“If I had something pleasant to say, I would.” Meg countered. He took another step forward and she took another step back.  
“Still sensitive about the last time we met, I see. You don’t take being wrong very well, Rose. You never have. That’s why you run. You can’t run away from your problems forever.” Pan chided. She could’ve thrown the book at him for his hypocrisy. She could’ve exploded with anger but then he would’ve won this round. Maybe she was a sore loser but so was he. Meg chose her next words wisely.   
“I’m not running anymore. You’re going to have to find another way to torture me because if you think for one second that I’m going to leave our son after being apart all these years then you’re not nearly as smart as you think you are. I’m not going anywhere and I’m not wrong. I hope you like Storybrooke.” She told him. She smiled for effect. This obviously angered him and he vanished.   
“Not wrong about what? What just happened?” The blonde woman demanded.  
“I have a lot of information to reveal and it’s going to take a long while to sort everything out. To start with your questions, what just happened was the first of what I’m sure will be many appearances of my dearest husband. I’m guessing his plan is to make me look bad by revealing the horrible things I’ve done before I can. Referring to what I’m not wrong about is between him and me. It has absolutely no relevance to the task at hand.” Meg explained. That got some looks of disapproval.   
“Okay, what did he mean when he said that you traded Hercules’ soul for eternal youth?” Snow asked.   
“Although that’s essentially what happened, it’s not as simple as that. When I started, let’s say, working for Zeus, he taught me magic. He started with light magic and it slowly got darker. Of course, I didn’t know the difference at the time. I thought that all magic was the same. I realize now how foolish that was. Eventually, he sent me to Hades saying that his brother would know what to do. When I got to the gates of the Underworld, Hades was waiting for me. He taught me some darker magic. He told me that I needed to bring his nephew to him. I asked why and he brought out two contracts. One I had already signed with Zeus and the other was Hades own. I was reluctant to sign it but it was either eternal youth or eternity in the Underworld.” Meg revealed. There was a moment of silence while everyone thought over what they had just been told.  
“Wow, I’m sorry, that’s an unfair decision.” The blonde woman said. Meg waved off the apology.  
“It was a long time ago. Besides, every contract has a loophole.” Meg reminded.   
“What did you do?” Rumple asked.   
“Let’s just say I owe Persephone a favor and that soon enough, Hercules will no longer be in the Underworld.” Meg stated.   
“Persephone as in the wife of Hades? Wouldn’t bringing him out of the Underworld violate your contract?” Charming asked.  
“My contract only stated that I had to bring Hercules to Hades. After Hercules was delivered, I had fulfilled my end of the deal. Anything that happened after that is not my fault.” Meg said.  
“Okay but why make him stay there so long? I mean I get that you needed him to stay there long enough so that you couldn’t be considered a part of it but how long has it been? Centuries? Why keep him there for so long?” Emma demanded. Meg shrugged.   
“He would’ve been in the way. I tricked him into going to the gates by pretending to be interested in him. I had to make him believe I was the real Megara. I couldn’t risk him following me across realms and messing everything up.” Meg stated.  
“So you left him there?” Emma seethed. As if the biggest issue was a man she left in the Underworld centuries ago. Why were they always focusing on the trivial?   
“I didn’t leave him there. He is getting a way out of the Underworld. His way out is just taking a while.” Meg explained.   
“I’m beginning to think we shouldn’t trust you.” Emma said. Meg sighed in frustration.   
“Emma, love, I’ve known her a long time. Trust me, we’re going to need her if we have any chance of defeating Pan. Her ways may be misguided but I’ve never seen anyone get under his skin the way she does. If you want further proof, she’s the reason that no one enters or leaves Neverland without his permission.” Hook stated. Emma, the blonde woman, looked annoyed but backed off. Emma, why did that name ring a bell? Then it hit her. She was Snow White and Prince Charming’s daughter. She was the savior. Which meant that the teenage boy had to be Henry, the heart of the truest believer.   
“Why are you looking at us like that?” Henry asked. Meg didn’t even realize that she was looking at them with admiration.  
“It just occurred to me that with the exception of Hook and Regina, I’m related to all of you in some way. I’m impressed and also a little concerned with how interconnected we are.” Meg explained.   
“You can admire us all later. Right now, you have a lot of information to share, mother.” Rumple reminded. She couldn’t help but catch the bitterness in his voice when he said the word ‘mother’. She recanted the night that she left without leaving out any details.   
“So where did you end up after you were pushed into the portal?” Regina asked.  
“Ancient Greece, of course. I found out later that portals took you places that you thought of. I had heard of this place from stories told at the tavern. I don’t know why I thought of it when I was falling. Maybe to see if it was real. That’s actually where I met Hook. He got me back to the Enchanted Forest and then shortly after, to Neverland. Although, it wasn’t exactly my idea to go to Neverland.” Meg exclaimed.   
“I am sorry about that, lass. I was caught in a deal with Pan at the time. Not that Meg knew that. It was one of his orders to bring her to the island. Of course all I had to go off was a drawing and that she was in some other realm. I was never told which realm. I figured I would try Ancient Greece first. I got lucky. I didn’t even know they were married until we got to the bloody island.” Hook remarked.   
“I don’t understand. Why was he looking for you?” Emma asked.   
“I left before he could tell me. All he got to say was ‘I don’t want you interfering in my plans’.” Meg replied.   
Flashback  
The storm had just settled down and in the distance, Meg could see a silhouette of an island. She was aboard the Jolly Roger and was assured that wherever they were going, she would be fine. She didn’t quite believe that but she wasn’t sure what else to do. Captain Hook had told her that they were going to Neverland. She had never heard of such a place but she felt that her safety was guaranteed.   
“Why are we going to Neverland?” Meg asked, in hopes of this time getting an answer. Every other time, the Captain just shrugged off the question.   
“I’m fulfilling my end of a deal.” He replied. Her sense of safety faltered. Meg grew suspicious.  
“Why did you bring me?” She inquired.  
“You said it yourself, you had no place in the Enchanted Forest. I couldn’t resist a damsel in distress.” Hook answered. It was true that she felt she had no place in the Enchanted Forest. Her son was grown up and she couldn’t find it in her heart to barge in after all these years. What she supposed to do? He probably thought she was dead. She had asked around but Malcolm was nowhere to be found. Maybe he was dead. Meg decided to ignore the damsel in distress comment and continued to watch as they got closer to the island.   
“And you think Neverland is a good place for me?” Meg questioned. The pirate shifted uneasily. So, not safe.   
“Not exactly,” Captain Hook began, “You see, there’s a boy on Neverland who insisted that you be brought there. He promised to leave me alone.”   
“Who would want me?” Meg asked in earnest.  
“A boy named Peter Pan.” Hook said.   
“I don’t know anyone by that name.” Meg replied.   
“You will.” Hook stated. The island itself seemed to be mostly sand around the edges and then jungle. They stood on the beach for the better part of ten minutes.   
“I was sure you’d fail.” A voice said. A shiver ran up Meg’s spine. She knew that voice. It had been awhile since it sounded so young but she knew it. She turned around. He looked like a teenager. Not that she looked any older.   
“Malcolm.” She said.  
“I don’t go by that name anymore. It’s Peter Pan now.” He informed. She turned to Hook.   
“Good job, Captain. You’ve delivered me to my husband. The one man I was trying to get away from.” Meg said.  
“He’s your husband. Why would you marry such a horrible person?” Hook questioned. She ignored and turned to her husband.  
“I was hoping I would’ve been gone long enough for you to be dead. What do you want with me?” Meg deadpanned. Pan smirked.   
“It’s quite simple, really. I can’t have you interfering with my plans…” He began. At this point, Meg had heard enough. With a flick of the wrist, Peter Pan was frozen in place.   
“What did you do to him?” Hook demanded.   
“I bought US some time to leave before things got out of hand. Don’t worry, he’ll unfreeze when we’re gone.” Meg replied.  
“What about my end of the deal? I’ll have to come back here.” Hook asked.  
“Technically, you fulfilled your end of the deal. I was here and now I’m leaving. He was never going to leave you alone anyway. He would’ve brought you back somehow. Let’s go!” Meg insisted.  
“I’m not risking my life so you can have freedom.” Hook retorted.   
“He won’t kill you. Not yet and not for this. If anything, he’ll blame me and send you on another expedition to find me. So let’s get a move on!” Meg replied, losing her patience. She started walking towards the ship and heard Hooks footsteps behind her.  
“When were you going to tell me that you knew magic?” Hook asked.  
“I wasn’t.” Meg answered.   
End of Flashback


	3. Chapter Three

Belle’s POV  
Belle and Rumple were headed home after their long day of listening to Meg’s past and trying to figure out how to stop Peter Pan. The more she listened, the more she realized that they didn’t know each other very well. That worried her but what worried her more was the toll this was taking on her husband. Belle could see how his mother’s arrival and his father’s return was getting under his skin. She knew something was bothering him and she had a feeling that it wasn’t just that the town could possibly be destroyed. For them, that seemed to be every other day. No, it was something deeper.   
“Are you okay?” She asked. He was silent for a moment, choosing his words carefully.   
“How did you figure it out?” He asked. His tone was soft but she could tell he was guarded.   
“I hadn’t thought about her since before Regina’s curse. How could I? We’ve had a crisis here every other day. When you left to go save Henry, I finally had some time to think. I was sorting through some of the books at the library and came across the story of Hercules. I remembered how Megara liked to be called Meg just like your mother. I remembered your mother, as my friend, back in the Enchanted Forest. I wondered where she had gone to. I wondered if she had found her son. Anyway, I decided to look through the Hercules book. What stuck out to me was that at the beginning it said that Megara had fallen from the sky into Ancient Greece. I have read this book and I don’t remember that being a part of the story. I read through it some more. The rest of the book was the same. When I got towards the end, a loose piece of paper fell out with an address. It was an address in Boston. I did some research and found out that the apartment was rented to a woman named Meg. I dug around some more and found a picture of this woman. She looked exactly like the woman I met all those years ago.” Belle told him.  
“That explains how you found your friend but how did you find out that she was my mother?” Rumple asked.  
“The full name she went by was Megan Pan and she worked at a daycare called ‘Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust’. I didn’t think it was a coincidence that I found her as we were trying to defeat your father. I sent her a letter explaining that you were here. I didn’t hear anything for weeks. Finally, she sent a letter back saying that she was on her way.” Belle explained.   
“Why didn’t you tell me that you were looking for her? That’s not like you, Belle. You don’t usually keep secrets.” Rumple exclaimed.   
“I wasn’t really looking at first. I didn’t think I had any important information. When I found out, I wanted to tell you but it was never the right time. Eventually, I starting telling myself that I wanted to surprise you but I think really I just didn’t want to be wrong. I didn’t want to give you hope where there was none. You would’ve never believed me anyway. You lived your whole life thinking that she was dead. In reality, she was just trying to protect you.” Belle stated.   
“I may not have believed you at first but eventually, I would have.” Rumple said.   
“I know and I feel awful. I should’ve told you.” Belle said.  
“You said that you found the address while we were fighting Pan the last time? Did you find it before he was here or after?” Rumple demanded.  
“After,” Belle began and came to the same startling realization that her husband had.   
“He wanted you to find that book. He wanted you to find her and bring her here.” Rumple stated.  
“So, what? She wanted to be found and he wanted to find her? I don’t understand. Why did they need to be here at the same time?” Belle asked.  
“Why don’t we go ask?” Rumple suggested. They took a detour and headed towards Granny’s. 

Meg’s POV

Flashback 

Meg had come back to Neverland for what she hoped was the final time. She came back because she had heard that Peter Pan was dead. She knew that it wasn’t true but she decided to come and make sure. She waited on the beach for him to appear like the last time when she saw a group of children heading her way. They looked to be adolescents. One boy in particular was much taller than the rest and looked older. They headed in her direction.   
“Welcome to Neverland, Rose.” The older boy greeted. Of course he knew her by that name. It was the only name of hers that Peter Pan acknowledged. It was a silent reminder that she was his.   
“Where is he?” Meg demanded, deciding to skip pleasantries. Nothing here was pleasant anyway.   
“Peter Pan is dead.” The boy responded. He didn’t seem phased. No, if their leader was dead then they would be mourning.   
“Peter Pan never fails. Where is he? Why does he want me here? Why does he have a doorman?” Meg asked. That’s essentially what this boy was; a doorman. Someone who, for lack of a better term, greeted people who came onto the island.   
“He’s dead.” The boy repeated, as if that would convince her. The boy motioned for her to follow. He brought her to what looked like a small camp where there were more children. Where did they all come from? Why were they here? A man was lying down on the ground. Upon closer inspection, it was Malcolm. Her Malcolm. Something wasn’t right.   
“Well then, I guess he won’t mind if I redecorate his precious little island now will he?” Meg threatened. She lifted her hand and a fireball appeared. She tossed it in the direction of the island and many of the trees immediately burst into flames. Many of the boys were alarmed, the doorman was not. He seemed amused. Almost immediately, the fire was extinguished and she turned around to greet her husband in his younger form.  
“How did you do that? When did you get a doorman? Why are you stealing children? Why can’t you leave me alone?” Meg asked. She couldn’t help but be in awe. His magic was improved.   
“You ask too many questions.” He replied, obviously annoyed.   
“Why did you bring me here?” Meg demanded. If she had to ask every one of her questions separately, she would.   
“Technically, you came to me.” Pan pointed out.  
“You faked your death. I had to make sure you were actually dead. You knew I would come.” Meg exclaimed.   
“True. You always come when I call, don’t you? Quite pathetic, really.” Pan teased.   
“I have to. It’s a part of our deal. Now what do you want?” Meg seethed.  
“To change the game.” Pan replied.

End of Flashback 

It had been a long day and Meg was so ready to go back to her room and unwind. She put the key in the door and unlocked it. When she opened the door, the first thing she saw was Peter Pan sitting cross-legged in the middle of her bed.  
“Oh you’ve got to be kidding me.” She muttered. She quickly closed the door behind her. The last thing she needed was passersby to make assumptions.   
“You’re wrong.” He stated. Meg walked to the middle of the room. She crossed her arms.  
“Have you been waiting here all this time just so you could tell me that? I think that proves that I’m not wrong and that you’re a sore loser.” Meg argued. He got up from the bed. He really wasn’t that hard to irritate, Meg thought.   
“I can’t lose if the game isn’t over.” Pan reminded. She glared at him.   
“When will it be over, dearest? When you’ve killed your entire family and everyone in this town? Are you going to go back to being a boy king and stealing children from their homes?” Meg questioned.   
“I didn’t steal them. They came willingly. Their families made them feel unwanted and unloved. So I gave them an escape. A place where they could truly be themselves. I gave them a home.” Pan countered. It wasn’t the first time she had heard this speech.   
“Is that how I made you feel? Unwanted and unloved?” Meg asked. The look of pure rage on his face before he vanished, yet again, was more than enough satisfaction.  
“If I had known that talking about feelings would get him to leave, I would’ve opened with that.” Meg told herself.   
There was a banging on her door. She groaned in frustration. All she wanted to do was go to sleep. It was like the universe was telling her that she no longer got the luxury of privacy. She turned to open the door and found Belle and Rumple. She just left them. What could they possibly want?  
“You have impeccable timing. The boy king just left. I was hoping to get some sleep tonight but I guess that’s a lost cause.” Meg spat. Belle looked surprised but Rumple did not. He looked suspicious.   
“He was here? What did he say?” Belle asked. They came into the room and closed the door behind them.   
“For people who claim to hate each other, you spend an awful lot of time together.” Rumple observed. Meg clenched her jaw. In the back of her mind, she knew this was what Pan wanted. He wanted Rumple to distrust her.   
“What are you getting at?” Meg demanded. She would not let him win. She would tell her son what he needed to know.  
“When you were in Boston, you called yourself Megan Pan and had a daycare called ‘Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust’.” Rumple stated. Not this again. I get it, Meg thought, you’re mad that your father has seen me more than you have. She would’ve apologized but she figured an explanation would be better.  
“I panicked with the last name. I never needed one before. I just wanted Belle to make the connection that I was your mother. Who would voluntarily pretend to be me?” Meg argued. Rumple ignored her question and continued with his agenda.   
“You visited him in Neverland. Quite often from the sounds of it.” He pointed out.  
“I only went to Neverland twice. The first time I didn’t even know he was there. I didn’t even know what had happened to him.” Meg argued.  
“What about the second time? Why go back?” Rumple questioned.   
“I heard he was dead and had to go make sure for myself. He knew I would come to the island. He wanted to lure me to that wretched place so that he could change the rules of the game.” Meg answered.   
“How did he know that you would come?” Belle asked. Because unfortunately I always come when he calls, Meg thinks.   
“You were planning on taking over Neverland if he was dead.” Rumple exclaimed.  
“That I was but he was very much alive. I was going to send those children home.” Meg said.   
“Why did Peter Pan have to be dead for you to show your face?” Rumple asked.  
“The game we’ve been playing has been kept between us for a long time. Now, the game has changed. It has expanded to you all as well. Before there were rules to his game; I couldn’t contact you or your family and in return, he couldn’t kill us all. Now, there are no rules, just chaos. He may not have the home field advantage here but he thrives on chaos. He created an entire island where imagination runs wild. He will always have the upper-hand and it’s all by his design.” Meg informed.   
“So what are his weaknesses? How do we stop him?” Belle asked.  
“He doesn’t have weaknesses. He’s made himself impenetrable.” Meg told her.  
“He may not have weaknesses in the same way that we do but we have something that is close to a weakness.” Rumple stated.  
“What?” Meg asked.  
“We have you.” Rumple replied. She didn’t like where she was going with this but she couldn’t say she was surprised.   
“You can’t be serious. I’m not a weakness to him. Not anymore. What about Wendy or his doorman? What was his name? Felix, I believe it was. That boy who Pan sent to greet those who came to the island. He was not very polite.” Meg said.  
“Felix is dead. Pan needed his heart for a curse he tried to inflict on this town. As for Wendy, she’s in London. You’re here. He’s obviously more interested in you at the moment. He followed you here. He gave Belle your address knowing that you would come here. We’re using you.” Rumple told her.   
“He what? I thought Belle found me on her own.” Meg replied. She was starting to get irritated with how detailed Peter Pan’s plans were.   
“Apparently not but it’s not a coincidence that you wanted Belle to find you and he wanted you here. Why give him what he wants? Why now?” Rumple inquired.  
“I always have to come when he calls.” Meg admitted.   
“What?” Rumple demanded.  
“It’s part of the game. I have to come when he calls.” Meg informed.  
“I thought you said that the game had no rules?” Belle asked, becoming suspicious of her friends intentions.  
“It’s not a rule, per se. I can’t really explain what it is. All I know is that when he wants me, he finds a way to get me to come to him. I guess you could call it an understanding. We never agreed upon it but it always seems to work out that way.” Meg explained. She could see how angry her son was getting.  
“This doesn’t make any sense!” Rumple exclaimed.  
“Can’t you see, Rumple? He doesn’t want it to make sense. He wants you to distrust me. That’s why he holds most of the information. That’s why he has so much control. He thrives on chaos. I will let you use me as his weakness but you better have a good plan if you want to wage this war against him.” Meg told him.  
“Believe me, mother, I do.” Rumple replied. Meg had a feeling that sentence should’ve ended with ‘but I’m going to need all the information you have’.


	4. Chapter Four

Rumple had not been very forthcoming in his plan but Meg knew that she wasn’t going to like it. Rumple asked her to wait for his call. When she got the call, she was to head to the pawnshop. From there, she would get Peter Pan to arrive there and get him all riled up. Meg knew that she was going to have start digging deep to get the reaction she wanted out of Pan. After he asked her to do this, him and Belle left to let her get some rest but it was a lost cause. She stayed up half the night wondering how this was all going to play out. The two obvious outcomes were; Pan wins and they all die or they win and Pan dies. The only way the latter will work is if they can keep Peter Pan dead. Meg knew that Pan needed her close to Rumple and his loved ones. He needed her in a place with magic. He needed to have the upper-hand. Had his magic gotten more powerful since they last saw each other? She could tell he was more unstable than she had ever seen him. He had lost his edge but he was still powerful. Meg had no idea what that meant in terms of their game.   
She eventually dozed off and was woken up by a phone call telling her to come to the pawnshop. Meg had gotten maybe four hours of sleep and was nowhere near ready to face her husband so soon. She wanted to argue and tell them she needed more sleep but she wanted to maintain what little trust they had in her by going along with the plan. Meg didn’t care how much it hurt her. It briefly crossed her mind that her husband was expecting to be summoned. Meg was starting to think he knew everything. The worst part about this was that she was going to have to keep her own emotions in check. Meg knew how to irritate Pan but he knew how to get under her skin as well. She got dressed and threw her hair up. Meg got to the pawnshop in less than twenty minutes. As she expected, everyone was there.   
“You know he’s going to figure out our plan if we all keep coming here at the same time every day.” Meg joked. She got some amused expressions but for the most part everyone remained neutral. Meg was pretty sure that no one else knew what the plan was. They had to keep the reactions genuine.   
“We want him to come to us. We need to know where his head is at.” Rumple explained. Meg smiled. It was her time to shine and today she felt the need for dramatics.   
“Well, if that’s the case. PETER PAN, COME OUT COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE! IT’S TIME TO COME AND PLAY!” Meg yelled. The other’s looked at her in annoyance. They thought she was being a jerk.   
“Do you think this is a joke?” Emma demanded. Meg continued to look amused. She knew he was coming.  
“Of course she does. She’s not taking this nearly as seriously as she should.” Pan pointed out. He was standing at the doorway leading from the actual shop to the back room.   
“Oh but dearest, you used to love that about me.” Meg teased. He looked at her in disgust.   
“Now I don’t feel anything at all for you.” Pan retorted. She walked over to him until she was standing in front of him.   
“That’s not quite true, is it? I can still get under your skin. I can still pick at that old wound because it still hurts. It hurts me too. You know I came back, right? I came back to the Enchanted Forest looking for you but too much time had passed and Rumple was all grown up and you were off being a boy king on an island that you made up. I was all alone.” Meg stated. Pan rolled his eyes.   
“Captain Hook brought you to me but you wouldn’t listen. You left as soon as you could. I couldn’t even tell you my plan.” Pan spat. Meg laughed. As if Pan would ever share his plan with her.   
“You were never going to me your plan. You started the conversation with ‘I can’t have you interfering with my plans’. Can you blame me for not wanting to hear the rest? What were you going to do with me anyway? Put me in a cage like you did with Wendy?” Meg deadpanned. She could tell he was starting to get irritated but he had more control today than he had yesterday.   
“It would have saved me a lot of trouble if I had. I had a lot of fun playing this game with you, Rose. You kept it interesting by running. You sometimes came back to me and always with more fire than before. Now, you no longer interest me. You’re burned out, Rose. You’re settling for being a mother. A great grandmother actually.” Pan explained. He was trying to get under her skin so she decided played hardball. She used a card she had been saving for a long time and she knew it was really going to get him going. All it took was one sentence.  
“I want a divorce.” Meg stated. Peter Pan looked at her in shock and then anger and then realization. He started to laugh. It was shaky. He was unsure.   
“We are not getting a divorce. You are stuck with me until death do us part, Rose.” Pan exclaimed. She was surprised at how steady his tone was.   
“Well that’s not coming fast enough because we’re both too stubborn to die. It’s been what? Three centuries? Almost three and a half? I think our anniversary is coming up. This divorce can be my gift for all the years that we didn’t spend our anniversary together.” Meg said. Pan clenched his fist. She could see that he was trying to tell if she was serious or not.   
“We are not getting a divorce. You are mine, Rose!” He bellowed. She almost forgot there were other people in the room. She couldn’t look around to gauge reactions or her cover would be blown.   
“Then I guess you’re not done with me, dearest. You are definitely still interested in me. I may be someone’s great grandmother but that doesn’t mean that my fire has been put out. I’m not dead yet.” Meg told him. He was gone in an instant. She let out the breath she had been holding and knew that her knees were about to buckle.   
“That was quite a show, mother. Peter Pan always was territorial.” Rumple said. Meg was leaning against the door for support. Her eyes were closed because she was afraid that she was going to start crying.  
“Meg, are you alright?” Belle asked. Meg took a deep breath and nodded. She turned to face everyone.  
“Yeah, I’m fine. That was just harder to do than I expected.” Meg explained. She was still leaning.   
“Exactly what was so hard about that?” Rumple asked. If it wasn’t obvious before, it was obvious to everyone now that there was still some feelings there. Meg was desperately clinging to the past.   
“All of it. I wasn’t kidding when I said our anniversary was coming up. Next week, I believe. Divorce was never talked about where we’re from. You should know that. It was unheard of. Even after all this time, it’s not a concept I like to think about. I hate Peter Pan with every fiber of my being but I don’t know for sure if I could ever divorce him. I have considered it in the past and I’m not saying no to the idea now. I know he’s not who he used to be but I guess I’m still hoping that the man I fell in love with is still there somewhere. I never got to tell you this but your father was the one who wanted you in the first place.” Meg stated. She realized that these were the secrets she needed to be revealing. The ones that showed a different side to Peter Pan. The ones that showed who he used to be.   
“What?” Rumple asked, shocked. She couldn’t blame him. If she wasn’t there, she would’ve had trouble believing too.   
“Oh yes, he begged me to start a family. I told him that it would be a lot of hard work but he only saw the fun part of parenting. He was so excited to be a father. I tried to explain to him how hard and expensive parenting was but he didn’t care. We argued about it for months before I gave in. It wasn’t until after you were born that he started to resent you.” Meg continued.   
“You eventually gave in. Did you ever want me?” Rumple questioned. The question was like a knife in her heart but it was understandable. She wasn’t exactly mother of the year.   
“Not at first. I didn’t want to bring a child into the life we had. We never made an honest living. Darling, your birth changed everything. After you were born, I realized that you were the best thing that ever happened to me. I never wanted anything more in my entire life. I regret leaving every single day. I never got to see you grow up. I didn’t get to teach you much of anything. Worst of all, I didn’t protect you. A mother is supposed to protect her child. You are all grown up now and that kills me. I missed everything but I can still protect you from your father. If I die, I’m taking him with me.” Meg stated.   
“Why are you telling me this?” Rumple asked.   
“Because you deserve to know. For a brief period of time, both of your parents loved you more than anything in the world. There’s a point I’m trying to make about Pan. He’s just as revenge driven as any good villain. He hasn’t felt much other than hatred in centuries. There’s a reason he avoided you for so long and it wasn’t his hatred of you. Well, part of it was. You remind him of everything that went wrong in his life. You remind him that he was nothing more than a peasant. You remind him that no matter how hard he worked, he couldn’t provide enough. Worst of all, you remind him of me. That’s why he looks at you with disgust and hatred. That’s why every time he looks at you, he sees betrayal. When he looks at you he sees the reason that his wife left. When he looks at you, he sees me.” Meg said with sincerity.

Flashback 

“It’ll be fun, Rose! Where’s your sense of adventure?” Malcolm asked. They had had this conversation every night for the last month. It always ended the same way. She would tell him no until he stopped pushing the issue. It wasn’t that Rose didn’t want a family. These just weren’t the conditions to raise a child.   
“My sense of adventure ends when we start considering bringing another life into this world. Malcolm, this isn’t one of your games. We’re talking about a child. A human being. Parenting is hard work. You’ll have to get an actual job and make actual money. I won’t be able to help you with income as much if I’ve got a child to take care of.” Rose argued. As if they could afford the loss of income. Their line of work may have not been respectable but it kept a roof over their heads and food in their mouths. She could see his mind at work. He was looking for a solution to all their problems and a way to do it without changing their lifestyle all that much.   
“You worry too much. Everything will work out, just you wait. I’ll start looking for a job.” Malcolm conceded. Rose looked at him in surprise. That was not the answer she was expecting.   
“An actual job? Not those silly card games that you use to fool people into giving you money?” Rose questioned. Malcolm nodded. He had never suggested getting a job before. The conversation was usually over before that.   
“An actual job. I’ll start looking tomorrow. We can be happy, Rose. We can have the life we always dreamed of.” Malcolm stated. He looked so proud of himself and so excited that it was contagious.   
“Okay.” Rose conceded. She was wondering if her sense of adventure would help her or hinder her in this endeavor. She had no idea what they were getting themselves into.   
“Okay?” Malcolm repeated, in disbelief and excitement. She hadn’t seen him this happy since she agreed to marry him.   
“Yes. Let’s start a family.” Rose agreed.

End of Flashback


	5. Chapter Five

Meg started to feel like she was spiraling. She hadn’t told anyone that her husband was the one who wanted a family. She had thought about frequently over the years. She mused at how different he was now. He blamed Rumple for everything. She knew it wasn’t their son’s fault. It was the fault of Pan and herself. It wasn’t so much that she was spilling his secrets but that she felt bad about it. Why did she feel bad? He was practically the devil. She admitted that she would be on the fence if she actually had to divorce him. What was wrong with her? Anyone in their sane mind would divorce a man like that. She remembered what she had told her newfound friends. Meg had told them that she was still hoping that the man she married was there. His soul was so dark that it would be a miracle if it was. She wasn’t even the same person as when they got married. How could she expect him to be?   
Meg considered that maybe she wasn’t expecting him to be the same person but rather, she was hoping he would stop his revenge-filled tantrum. How was she going to pull this off? Peter Pan had built walls around himself so that he wouldn’t get hurt. She hurt him so badly that he shut everyone out. Rumple had mentioned that Pan crushed Felix’s heart for a curse. Curses that required human hearts usually meant that you had to love the person. There was obviously comradery between the two but how had Felix gotten past those walls? How did Wendy?   
Meg had only heard about Wendy from Hook and contrary to what one might assume, Meg felt no malice towards her. Meg didn’t feel threatened that Pan was interested in someone else. If anything, Meg felt for the girl. Once you caught Pan’s interest, he didn’t let go very easily.   
Meg considered confronting her husband. She could face him in a fight but she knew that that would lead nowhere. As part of her contract with Hades, her heart was protected by magic. She couldn’t imagine that Pan left his heart in his chest after being resurrected and returning to the place in which he was killed. He’s not that dumb. If they fought, they would just be destroying each other for the fun of it.   
She couldn’t exactly have heart to heart with him, so to speak. He wasn’t exactly the type to talk about his feelings. She was going to have to break him down bit by bit. She was going to have to use his secrets against him. She felt like she was betraying him by doing so but he hasn’t exactly given her a choice. Meg felt like her heart was torn between her son and her husband. She didn’t want to feel this way but she couldn’t let go of the past. Especially when she wasn’t sure that she had much of a future. She was supposed to meet Rumple at the diner soon so they could figure out their next course of action. She got dressed and headed out to wait for him. He showed up not long after she sat down and they both ordered.   
“Why did you tell me all of that yesterday?” He asked. She understood why he was hung up on it. If she wasn’t married to the man, she wouldn’t have believed that he had soft spot either.   
“You deserved to know.” Meg reiterated. She was still trying to gain her son’s trust.  
“How was that helpful?” He questioned.   
“You said that his weakness was me and you were right but my weakness has always been you. That’s why he kept you instead of sending you through the portal with me. I figure that the more you know about who your father was rather than who he is, the better our chances are for winning this battle.” Meg explained. By the look on his face, he was starting to understand but not quite.   
“Why didn’t you come back for me?” Rumple asked. This was the question she had been waiting for. The one on one conversation where she tried to explain what happened.  
“Darling, I did come back but by the time I got there you were all grown up and had a family. I didn’t feel like I had a right to barge in on that.” Meg said. Her son looked at her with a hurt expression.  
“And you thought this was somehow better? Showing up after a few centuries on the brink of war with Peter Pan?” Rumple exclaimed. She wasn’t really sure what to say. He was right, of course, but it wasn’t that simple. She knew that he was hurt.  
“Rumpelstiltskin, it is not that simple and you know it. When I was back in the Enchanted Forest, it was right before you were sent off to the Ogre Wars. Your wife was expecting. I wanted to knock on the door and introduce myself but I felt like I didn’t belong. I had been gone for so long. I didn’t even know what I would have said. I went to the tavern that night to reconsider and Hook offered to bring me somewhere else. I had to go through the pain of leaving you again. I’m so sorry.” Meg said.   
“Where did you go after you left Neverland?” Rumple demanded.   
“I came back to the Enchanted Forest. You were already in the Ogre Wars. I wasn’t there long.” Meg admitted. Rumple had a look of disbelief on his face. There was another secret she was going to have to tell him and she wasn’t sure that she could be redeemed after this.  
“It’s becoming extremely hard to believe that you cared for me, mother.” Rumple spat. It would’ve hurt less if he stabbed her.   
“I know and what I have to tell you next isn’t going to make it any easier. I just want to point out that I did this to keep you alive. There was seer. She kept telling me that I could never escape my fate. She kept telling me that one day I would have to own up to everything I had done and will eventually do. The seer claimed you and I would be reunited but at a price. I didn’t think much of what she said but I knew you were going to die in the Ogre Wars. I put her in that cart and paid a young man to tell you to guard it. I had to take a risk and hope that you got out of the Ogre Wars alive. I’m so sorry, Rumple.” Meg apologized. Now her son looked like he wanted to stab her.  
“You put that seer there? You are the reason I injured myself? I spent the rest of my life being called a coward! Do you realize what you have done, mother? I took that seers powers and became the Dark One because I no longer wished to be a coward! I lost my wife and my boy! I could have died an honorable death if you hadn’t intervened!” Rumple yelled. Meg was crying at this point.   
“I know but I needed you alive. You were extremely important to the prophecy. You are the reason that the Savior exists. You had to become the Dark One. You had to take that seers powers. Just like I’ve had to fight this battle with Peter Pan for all these years. We can’t escape our fates.” Meg reasoned.   
“That’s another thing I don’t understand. How did you fight this battle with him while keeping such a low profile?” Rumple demanded. Meg hadn’t really thought about it. She was more concerned with trying to survive.  
“I didn’t spend a lot of time in the Enchanted Forest. I did briefly cross Regina’s path and Belle’s. I spent some of my time in Wonderland. That name is horribly misleading. I went back to Ancient Greece once to make sure that my contract was still intact. I went to Neverland twice. The second time I lost track of time and ended up spending a few years there but that was mostly negotiations. I came to this world a couple of times. Once to make sure that Pinocchio and the Savior arrived safely and then this last time where I was hiding from your father.” Meg informed.   
“What exactly did you and Pan negotiate?” Rumple inquired.  
“Think of it like a custody battle but without lawyers and with magic. I wanted to see you but Pan insisted that that wasn’t going to happen. I threatened to burn down his island again. He still didn’t budge. He tried to kill me and found that he couldn’t which made him angry. So basically we yelled for a while to just keep the same rules. He told me that you would be coming to Neverland soon. I insisted on staying but when I woke up, I was in Boston.” Meg stated.

Flashback 

“I have to. It’s a part of our deal. Now what do you want?” Meg seethed.  
“To change the game.” Pan replied. She reluctantly sat down and waited for him to continue.  
“The rules are still the same. You can’t visit Rumple or his loved ones and I won’t kill them. I don’t want to right now. I need something that they’ve got. The stakes are higher, Rose. You can’t come back to Neverland.” Pan continued. She looked at him with skeptical expression.   
“So you called me here to tell me that I can’t be here? That’s a bit anticlimactic, don’t you think?” Meg pointed out. He didn’t seem bothered.   
“You don’t see the big picture the way I do, Rose.” Pan said. Meg resisted the urge to roll her eyes.  
“Enlightenment me.” She deadpanned.   
“There’s going to be a battle. Not really a battle but they will think it is. I will have the heart of the truest believer to keep me young and they will fight to get him back. I don’t want you to be a part of that. Especially since Rumple will be involved. He thinks that he’s going to be a hero and kill us both so he can save his precious grandson. He doesn’t have it in him. Even if he does, neither of us will actually die.” Pan explained. Meg was getting really tired of his games.  
“It’s ironic that someone so heartless has to steal hearts in order to live longer. Why do you care if I’m a part of it or not? Other than the fact that Rumple’s involved.” Meg demanded.   
“I’m not stealing hearts. I just need the heart of the truest believer and he will give it to me willingly. This is not your battle, Rose. You can’t be here. Even if Rumple wasn’t involved, I wouldn’t want you here.” Pan stated.   
“Because it hurts too much? Is that why you play these games with me? Because you still love me.” Meg replied. There was a pained expression that lasted only a second but long enough for Meg to know that she was right.   
“You’re wrong. I don’t love you. Maybe I never did.” Pan said. She could never truly believe that. They were happy once.   
“I don’t think I’m wrong.” Meg replied. Pan reached into her chest and tried to pull her heart out. He became increasingly angry when he found that he couldn’t. Meg found it slightly amusing.  
“My hearts protected by magic. You can’t kill me.” Meg laughed.

End of Flashback 


	6. Chapter Six

Meg stared at herself in the mirror. She traced her fingers under her eyes and through her hair. Meg barely recognized the girl in the mirror. She looked tired and it was obvious that she was stressed out. Her hair was a mess and she had bags under her eyes. She was quickly becoming a ghost of herself. The confidence she felt when she first arrived was fading. Meg hadn’t slept much since she had gotten to Storybrooke. In fact, she hadn’t had a full night’s sleep since the first night she got here. How could she? There was too much to deal with. Not only with her deranged husband but she was also trying to rebuild her relationship with her son and keep on the good side of the people in town. She wasn’t sure how the town felt about her presence but she knew her son wasn’t very fond of her. She hoped that eventually Rumple would forgive her for what she had done. There was a knock on her door. That was another reason she could never get any sleep; she always seemed to get visitors at night and they were usually people she had just spent the entire day with. Meg walked out of the bathroom and went to open the door. It was Belle. To Meg’s surprise, she was alone.   
“Belle, is something wrong?” Meg asked. Belle shook her head. Meg stepped aside and let her friend in. She hadn’t really had much of a chance to sit down and talk with Belle since they had breakfast the other morning. So much had happened that it felt like she had been here for weeks instead of days.  
“Nothing’s wrong. I just thought you might want to chat.” Belle replied. Meg cocked her head to the side. If it weren’t so late, Meg would be more enthusiastic about spending time with Belle.   
“Talk about?” Meg questioned. Lately, she was always surprised at how much attention everyone was giving her. Meg was used to keeping a low profile and being more of a background character.   
“About how you feel about your husband.” Belle clarified. Meg groaned. She considered making a face and stomping her feet like a child but she settled for the groan.   
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Meg stated, crossing her arms and looking at the ground. She realized how juvenile she was being but this was one topic she did not want to have out loud. It was one thing to try and talk it out in her head. If she said these things out loud then they became real. If they became real then Pan had more power over her. That was the last thing she needed.   
“I know what it’s like to love a man who does horrible things. A man who loves power more than you. It hurts.” Belle said. Meg really appreciated the sentiment but she did not want to talk about. She did not love Peter Pan.   
“People don’t love power. Their addicted to it. It gives them a high that they can’t normally find in their lives. They hurt the ones they love not because they want to but because they need to get another fix. Power is a drug. That’s why people become infatuated with it. That’s why they want more.” Meg contradicted. She knew that she was nitpicking but she needed a way out of this conversation.   
“Be that as it may, it still hurts to have the one you love chose power over you. I didn’t come here to tell you to go back to him or forgive him. I just wanted to know where your head was at. It’s going to be hard to fight this battle if your hearts not in it. Admittedly, it doesn’t seem like his heart is in it either. Your presence seems to throw him off his game.” Belle explained. Meg ran her hands through her hair. She was so tired. She was tired of reliving the past. She was tired of feeling everything. She wanted an easy solution for once. Of course, she was never going to get one. So she continued down the road of honesty and hoped that something good would come out of tearing herself apart.  
“Okay, fine. Do you really want to know where I’m at, Belle? I’m exhausted. I haven’t had a full night’s sleep since the first night I got here. I’m tired of reliving the past. I know that it’s supposed to help defeat Pan but I did horrible things. Some of those things I did because of him. Some of which I had buried and was trying not to think about. I’m the reason my son is the Dark One. I have to live with that. Everything he did while he was the Dark One is my fault. I married a man who given the choice, would pick power over me any day. Not that I can blame him when I’m the reason he became so evil. I left him and he has never forgiven me. Why should he? In my haste to leave, I never once considered his feelings. The only thing on my mind was whether or not Rumple was going to be safe. Which is what a mother is supposed to do but I also forgot to be a wife. To have and to hold, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part. I forgot our vows. So yes, I have a lot of guilt and mixed emotions right now. Do I still love my husband? I don’t know.” Meg exclaimed. Belle was patient until Meg was done ranting.   
“That’s a lot of blame to put on yourself. Yes, you are the reason that Rumple injured himself during the Ogre Wars but every decision after that was his. He chose to become the Dark One. He chose to find that seer and take her powers. As for Peter Pan, you have to ask yourself, is he really worth fighting for? Is the man you fell in love with still there?” Belle inquired. Meg let out a shaky laugh to try and hide the fact that she was on the verge of crying.  
“Aren’t you supposed to be telling me that my husband is an evil man who deserves to die? Shouldn’t you be telling me that I need to put my son’s needs first? That I’m being ridiculous.” Meg asked.   
“He is evil but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any good left in him. As for Rumple, he’s an adult. He can take care of himself. You need to do what’s right. Not only for everyone else but for yourself.” Belle said. Meg nodded. She felt better and worse. More importantly, she felt understood and maybe that’s exactly what she needed right now.   
“Thank you, Belle. I have a lot to consider.” Meg said. Belle nodded and headed towards the door.  
“Well, if you need someone to talk to, you know where to find me.” She replied and then left. Meg crumpled to the floor and started to cry. It didn’t last long. She told herself that she needed to pull herself together. After she calmed herself down, she went to bed. Ironically, she got a full nights rest.   
When she woke up, she didn’t feel completely refreshed but she felt better. That is until she saw who was sitting on the edge of her bed. She propped herself up on her elbow.   
“Just once, just one morning I would like to wake up and be happy. I don’t think that’s a lot to ask for.” Meg complained. Peter Pan smirked. She eyed him suspiciously. She wondered what was going on in his head. He had to be up to something. He knew something.   
“We need to talk.” He exclaimed. He seemed to have regained his confidence and his pompous attitude. He seemed fairly in control but she could easily undo that. Meg continued to stare. He’s never actually said the words ‘We need to talk’ before. Usually, he brought her to Neverland and told her what he needed from her. Of course, the game was changed. He didn’t exactly have the upper-hand. She wasn’t entirely sure what he had.   
“You’re going to have to be more specific, dearest.” Meg replied. He got up from the edge of her bed and started to walk around the room. He was paying attention to how the room was set up and which items were hers.   
“I know what you’re doing, Rose, and it’s not going to work. You could reveal our entire past and it won’t make a difference. It won’t change how they see me. I will always be a villain in their eyes. You don’t see me that way, do you? You’re fighting awfully hard to bring back the man I used to be. You just can’t accept that that man no longer exists. He hasn’t for a long time and you’re to blame for that. Maybe that’s why you can’t accept it. It would mean taking the blame for everything you’ve done.” Pan pointed out. Meg sat up in the bed.  
“I am taking responsibility for what I’ve done!” She exclaimed. Pan had found her bag and eyed it intently.  
“And it’s going to destroy you. You’re already falling apart from revealing your past. Too many painful memories, I suppose. Rumple doesn’t trust you. The others are suspicious of you, even Belle.” Pan informed. He began going through her bag and pulled out a rose. The rose he had given her.  
“For the prettiest Rose I ever did see. Why would you bring this?” He asked, looking quite smug.   
“Why are you doing this? What do you want?” Meg pleaded.  
“You never did see the big picture the way I did, Rose.” He stated and then left. This time, Meg was the one who was infuriated. She threw the covers back and looked in her bag for the rest of her things. He didn’t take anything else but he didn’t have to. He took the rose thinking that she was still in love with him. She admitted to herself that there might be some there. However, she brought that rose as a reminder of what she needed to accomplish here. It was a reminder that he was no longer the man she married. She got dressed and headed to the pawnshop.   
“Rumpelstiltskin!” She yelled as she walked through the door. She waited impatiently in the front of the shop. She crossed her arms and started tapping her fingers on her arm. He appeared only moments later behind the counter.  
“What do you want, mother?” He demanded. His expression was guarded.   
“I was just visited by your father. He’s back to his old self. He’s made his move.” Meg informed. Rumple looked at her skeptically.   
“What move has he made?” He questioned. Meg sighed in frustration.   
“I don’t know but you don’t just go from unstable to arrogant unless you have a reason. He showed up in my room yet again. Don’t give me that look, Rumple. I didn’t want him there. He went through my things. He took a rose from my bag. He told me that I never saw the big picture like he did. The last time he told me that was right before he took Henry. He’s made his move.” Meg explained. While she was explaining this, Rumple looked at her with skepticism and disbelief. There may have been some irritation mixed in there as well.   
“He took a rose. This wouldn’t happen to be the rose that he gave you, would it?” Rumple asked. Of course he would remember that tiny detail. Admittedly, that was important but they could focus on the trivial later.   
“It was. I kept it as a reminder of who I was fighting against. I kept it to remind me that he isn’t the same person anymore.” Meg replied. Rumple wasn’t buying it.   
“But he gave it to you as the person he is now.” Rumple stated.   
“Yes but he did it to mock me. He wanted me to know that he was coming after me.” Meg countered.   
“So what do you suggest we do, mother?” He asked. Meg shook her head and sighed in frustration.  
“I don’t know, Rumple. I just don’t know. He’s winning. Maybe that’s why he’s so arrogant. Part of his plan was to pit you against me. It’s working. I’m tired and spiraling. He told me that my past would destroy me. He told me that everyone was suspicious of me. Belle came to visit me last night and told me that I needed to do what was right, no matter what that was.” Meg admitted.   
“Wait, Belle came to see you last night? That’s not possible. Belle was with me all night. And then Pan came to see you this morning? And you said he was arrogant?” Rumple questioned. Meg stared at her son with wide-eyed horror.   
“No…no…no…I…no! I admitted all my guilt to him! No!” Meg cried. How could she have been so stupid? She had known that it was weird that Belle was alone. She should’ve known that Belle would never tell her to consider sparing Pan’s life. That should’ve been a red flag right there. She leaned on the counter and cradled her head in her hands. She needed to go back to bed.

Flashback 

“My hearts protected by magic. You can’t kill me.” Meg laughed. The look of infuriation was worth what came next. With a flick of his wrist, she was out cold.  
She woke up with a headache. Presumably, she fell. She barely registered the sound of waves and realized she was aboard a ship. She looked around and realized she was on the Jolly Roger. For goodness sake, could he at least give her to a different pirate? Not that she minded Captain Hook but this was the third time she was aboard his ship. Granted, the first two times were technically the same trip. She stood up and took a moment to find her balance. She went to go look for the captain. She found him near the wheel.   
“Where are we headed, Captain?” She asked. He looked at her with amusement. For a moment, she thought he was going to say Wonderland.   
“The Enchanted Forest. Pan’s orders.” He replied. She rolled her eyes but didn’t protest. The pirate was just doing what he was being forced to do.   
“How much longer?” She asked.   
“Not long, lass. You’ve been asleep for most of the trip. You really know how to get under his skin, don’t you?” He replied.   
“What can I say? It’s a gift.” She stated. It really wasn’t that long until they reached the Enchanted Forest. When they docked, Hook grabbed her arm rather roughly. She had thought that they were on pretty good terms. He practically dragged her off the ship. They didn’t walk far when they stopped in front of another ship. This was looked familiar. Where had she seen this ship before? The captain came down and suddenly she was reminded of where she had seen it.  
“I brought you your missing cargo. Pan sends his regards.” Hook said and handed her over to Blackbeard. She had to be careful what she wished for. She had asked for a different pirate but not this one.   
“I’m sure he does. This doesn’t make us even. She went missing a lifetime ago. That’s a lifetime of interest.” Blackbeard pointed out.  
“Yes, and I have no interest in this conversation. If you have a problem, you can take it up with Peter Pan himself.” Hook suggested. Blackbeard did not seem to like that answer. He dragged her aboard the ship.  
“Where are you taking me?” Meg demanded.   
“A place called Boston.” Blackbeard replied and shoved her below deck.

End of Flashback 


	7. Chapter Seven

Everyone has a moment where they just have to accept that they’ve messed up and move on from it. This moment is sometimes referred to as the point of no return. A moment where you have to make a life altering decision. For Meg, that moment was when she realized she had told her husband all her insecurities. Except her husband was disguised as her best friend and Meg hated herself now more than ever. Also, her husband was the last person she wanted to share her feelings with. He was not exactly empathetic and was most likely trying to use her weaknesses against her. Right now, Meg was currently at the pawnshop trying to collect herself because she just realized her ginormous error. She was pacing and crying.   
“I can come back from this. I’ve saved myself from worse fates. He may know my insecurities but that doesn’t mean that he can use them against me. I could learn his weaknesses but that would involve finding out where he’s hiding in this town. Someone has got to have seen him. It’s not that big of a town.” Meg rambled. At least when she talking, she wasn’t crying.   
“And what are you planning to do if you find him?” Rumple asked. Meg stopped in her tracks and looked at her son. What was she going to do? Sure, she could hope that he shows some weakness but that could take up too much time and he could figure out her plan. She could kill him. That would depend on if he was dumb enough to keep his heart in his chest. After dying once, she doubted he would be so careless. She couldn’t pretend she was interested in him. Pan would see right through that.   
“You’re right. That’s a terrible plan. The only advantage I have right now is that he doesn’t know that I know. He wants me to stop revealing the past. I can’t stop now. I have so much more to tell. Wait, is that his move? Was him disguising himself and finding out my insecurities his move? If it is, then he has lost his edge.” Meg remarked. He couldn’t have lost that much of his edge, could he?   
“I imagine he needs it for something else he’s planning. It’s probably a part of whatever big picture he’s referring to.” Rumple replied. That made more sense.   
“The big picture. I wonder if he’s referencing how this is all going to end. I can’t imagine him wanting the game to end…unless he’s planning a new game. Maybe he needed my insecurities to finally get me out of the picture. He figures that if he helps me destroy myself then the game is over and he can kill the rest of you. He knows that the only way I can die is if I rip my own heart out and crush it myself.” Meg pointed out loud. It was a long shot but definitely in the cards.   
“Well mother, that would mean you would have to find a way out of this downward spiral. How are you going to do that?” Rumple asked.   
“I can’t stop now. Not for his sake. The only way out is in. We continue with what we’ve been doing. Part of his little speech was that he wanted me to stop and I just can’t do that.” Meg stated. Rumple nodded in understanding. Admittedly, it wasn’t really a life altering decision but it was Meg’s point of no return.   
“We should go get the others. You have more information to tell.” Rumple said. She thought he seemed surprised that she wasn’t going to give in. He may have even been a little proud. Either way, Meg took it as a personal victory. It didn’t take long for everyone to arrive and Meg was contemplating what else was important from her past. She still hadn’t decided when they had started to catch everyone up on what had happened.   
“You knew he was going to take Henry and you didn’t tell anyone?” Emma yelled. She had every right to be angry. Any mother would be but Meg hoped she would take the yelling down a notch.   
“I wasn’t allowed to contact Rumple or his family. Not to mention, you were still in Boston. You didn’t even know about any of this yet.” Meg replied. It wasn’t really a defense and she knew it but what else could she say.   
“What about me?” Regina asked.   
“I didn’t know that you were his adoptive mother! I know I should have contacted someone and that I’m an awful person for not doing so. I didn’t know how to contact you guys and to be honest, it felt nice to be off the grid and I know that makes me sound horrible but keep in mind, I’m not like you guys. I’m not a hero or a villain. I’m a background character!” Meg exclaimed. That certainly shut everyone up. So she continued.  
“In every story I’ve been a part of, I was a background character. I did a favor for Regina and she probably didn’t think twice about me. For Hook, I was basically cargo. To Belle, I was a stranger passing through who became a friend but I left too soon. In Ancient Greece, I was pretending to be someone else. I didn’t try to make an impact on people’s lives. I just tried to keep a low profile. I know now that the actions that I thought didn’t matter, actually made a huge difference. I made a lot of mistakes. I should have contacted someone about Henry.” Meg admitted.   
“Why didn’t you?” Regina asked.   
“Well, after Pan knocked me out, I found myself back on the Jolly Roger. Hook was ordered to bring me to Blackbeard to settle an earlier debt. You remember, where Pan sold me to Blackbeard and then stole me back.” Meg explained. She wished she could be angrier at Hook but he was in a similar situation. Back then, he also had to come when Pan called.

Flashback 

Rose dropped through the portal and landed on the ground. She immediately blacked out. When she came to, she first noticed that she was in a building and that she felt perfectly fine. Rose should have been in some pain. She had dropped from the sky. She should at least have some broken ribs. She admired her surroundings. The building was beautifully decorated with sculptures and paintings. Even the surface she was laying on was colorful and soft. She wasn’t entirely sure what she was lying on. She propped herself up on her elbows and was surprised that there was still no pain. How was that possible? A door opened and a man walked in. He was an older gentleman but he was still fairly handsome.   
“I’m glad to see you are making a full recovery. You had a pretty nasty fall. Not to worry, I have some of the best medical staff.” The man remarked. Rose was at a loss for words. He was generous for having his staff attend to her but she could never repay him. How was she even going to explain herself to this man? People didn’t normally fall out of the sky. Perhaps they did here.   
“Thank you for your generosity but where am I?” Rose asked. It was the only question she could think of.   
“You have arrived in Greece. A long way from the Enchanted Forest.” The man noted. Rose was taken aback.   
“What do you know of the Enchanted Forest? Who are you?” Rose demanded. It was hard for her to sound too intimidating when her voice was giving up on her.   
“My apologies, my name is Zeus and I am a God. As for the Enchanted Forest, I know that you have no way of getting back there. However, I could get you back there if you do me one small favor.” The man, Zeus, offered. Rose nodded in agreement before she even heard what the favor was. An action that she would regret almost immediately.  
“Anything to get back to my boy.” She replied in haste. Another action she would soon regret. Zeus smiled.   
“We have a common interest. We both want the best for our children. It would be wonderful if you could convince my son to come home. Hercules, my boy, is a hopeless romantic and he’s always convinced that he’s found his right match. Every time he saves some damsel in distress, he falls in love with her. This madness has got to end somewhere. You see, I need you to convince him that he’s being foolish. He’s fallen for a mortal and I can’t bear to see his heart break when she dies. No parent likes to watch their child suffer. My son is supposed to become a God soon and I would love for him to come home.” Zeus explained. This was a lot of information for Rose to process. She didn’t entirely know what was going on but he seemed genuine and as a parent, she felt for him. He just wanted to help his son.   
“How am I supposed to convince him?” Rose asked. Zeus pulled out some parchment and a quill.   
“Just sign right here and I will explain everything I need you to do.” Zeus answered. Rose looked at him with uncertainty.   
“What exactly am I signing? I thought you only needed a small favor.” Rose said. Zeus’ smile faded.  
“You misunderstand. I wasn’t asking you to sign the contract. I was telling.” He stated. The look in his eyes was terrifying. Tears welled up in her eyes as she signed the contract. What had she gotten herself into?

End of Flashback 


	8. Chapter Eight

Rumpelstiltskin’s POV   
He would never admit it out loud, and he was pretty sure he didn’t have to, but the sudden appearance of both his parents was as surprising as it was unnerving. He spent most of childhood without his parents and now here they were, fighting over him as if this was a custody battle. Of course, Rumpelstiltskin wasn’t so arrogant as to think this was all about him. He knew that wasn’t the case. They had some deep-seated issues that they needed to figure out between themselves. However, he did seem to play a major role in their dispute. He pondered this as the other’s argued what to do about his parents. They were arguing as if they really had a say in the matter. The others were acting as if they could take down two of the most powerful people in existence. That’s why he was barely paying attention to the conversation. Rumple knew that they couldn’t stop his parents. The only way that this was going to end was if his parents sorted it out themselves.   
What Rumple did know was that they had to be careful. His mother was spiraling and if she even suspected that the others were plotting against her, she would most likely switch sides and join Peter Pan. She wouldn’t even switch because she wanted to but because that would be her best option. Much like Peter Pan, Rumple suspected that despite what she said, his mother valued her own life above anyone else’s. She would join him to spare her own life or at least to prolong it until she could find a better plan. That would be her only option and Pan would allow it just to spite Rumple. He didn’t even want to think about how powerful they could be together.   
He hadn’t seen his mother use magic but she was trained by the Gods. He wondered how powerful her magic really was and if she had even an inkling of her true potential. He recalled her saying that she tried to burn down Neverland. A risky move in and of itself. Rumple also recalled his mother saying that she snuck into Cora’s castle. That would be no small feat. She would’ve had to get past layers of guards and magic. With the stories that he had heard her tell, she seemed like a totally different person. The woman in her stories was strong and determined. The woman that appeared before him was weak. She let her emotions dictate her actions. She was hindered by the presence of Peter Pan that much was evident. That never seemed to bother her before though. It could’ve been his own presence as well. How much of her weakness was because of Pan’s presence or his own?   
Peter Pan wasn’t at his best either. It seemed that some days, he was his arrogant self. While on other days, it seemed, he was easily affected. Rumpelstiltskin had noticed that Pan was more sentimental than he led on. He had gotten his name from Rumple’s doll and had even kept said doll for ages. Pan refused to call Meg anything but her given name. The name he knew her by. He had even mocked her with a rose. Was it a mockery? It depended on what mood he had been in when he sent it. On one of Pan’s better days, it could have been a mockery. On one of his more easily affected days, it could have been a reminder. A reminder of what they once had. Rumple didn’t like the idea of that. It felt unnatural to think that his father once was a normal person who was capable of love rather than obsession. He didn’t even like referring to Pan as his father. However, Rumple wasn’t naïve and couldn’t excuse the idea that his wanted the same thing from each other. No matter how absurd it sounded.   
“…What are we going to do? What if she does something stupid and Pan kills her.” Emma demanded. Rumple hadn’t really been listening to the conversation but this caught his attention. He couldn’t help but be a little amused.  
“She can’t be killed.” Rumple stated. He knew how this scenario was going to play out. It always played out this way. They were going to do something impulsive because they were heroes.   
“How do you know that?” Emma argued. Rumple smirked.  
“She told me. Her heart is protected by magic and not just any magic but the magic of a God. That’s why she has to be the one to take down Pan. Well that and she started the whole mess. Even if Peter Pan did manage to kill her, she would just come back to life. Her heart has something of an insurance policy on it.” Rumple explained. That last part was just a guess. A shot in the dark but it didn’t seem far off from the truth. He wondered if that’s why she was so different than the woman in the stories. Did she die sometime between when she left and when she got to Storybrooke? Did dying make her lose a part of herself? Or at least make her more vulnerable and susceptible? He needed answers.  
“Well, that’s great. She can’t be killed. We need her to kill Pan. She doesn’t seem like she is even capable of doing that. What do we do?” Emma asked. Rumple made his way to the door.  
“We don’t do anything. As long as they aren’t at each other’s throats or wreaking havoc on the town, we leave them alone.” He replied. The others looked at him incredulously. He left before they could question him.   
He did want them to sort out their problems on their own but he didn’t foresee that happening anytime soon. Apparently, their eternal youth came with some childish traits. Rumple was at a loss for what to do but he did want some answers. He knew that his mother and Belle were at the library today. Belle was interested in hearing about what happened in Ancient Greece. She wanted to know how the story got changed. That’s where he was headed. He stormed into the library and ended up startling Belle and Meg.   
“When I ask you for information, mother, it’s generally common sense not to leave out the important details. When were you going to tell me that you died?” Rumple demanded. He could see Meg’s face tighten. He really didn’t like her nasty habit of leaving out details.   
“What are you talking about, Rumple? Meg? You died?” Belle asked and then turned to her friend for answers.   
“Her heart has an insurance policy from the deal she made with Hades. She can be killed but she comes back to life.” Rumple informed. Judging by his mother’s expression, he was right. The thought gave him little satisfaction.   
“I never made it to Boston on Blackbeard’s ship. He killed me almost as soon as we left the harbor. I didn’t even see it coming. When I woke up, I was in the Underworld. Hades was delighted to see me. He explained some more of my contract to me.” Meg admitted with bitterness. She had a blank expression.   
“And you didn’t think that that was important information? Blackbeard wasn’t the only one to kill you, was he? Pan killed you too. That’s why he’s so interested in you. You’re the only person he can kill over and over again.” Rumple guessed. It was a long shot but not entirely out of the realm of possibilities.   
“Pan didn’t kill me. As far as I know, he still thinks I can’t be killed. After Blackbeard killed me, I spent some time in the Underworld and then ended up in Boston. I was being honest when I said the only way I can truly die is if I rip my own heart out and crush it myself. That’s the price I have to pay for all of this.” Meg gestured to herself.   
“I don’t believe you’re telling the whole truth. Something’s not right and it has to do with you and Pan. There’s something that you aren’t telling us.” Rumple accused. Meg’s expression softened.   
“I don’t know what else there is to tell you. If I’m killed, I have to serve time in the Underworld, and then I come back to life. Your father doesn’t know any of that. I know he’s served time in the Underworld. Thankfully, it wasn’t at the same time. If there was a moment when it was, then we never crossed paths.” Meg stated. Rumple didn’t fully believe her. Something wasn’t right.

Flashback 

Meg’s POV   
She found that Greece wasn’t all that bad. Granted, she spent a majority of her time practicing magic with Zeus wherever he was keeping her locked up. Occasionally, he took her outside into the garden. Rose wasn’t exactly sure why she needed to learn magic in the first place. She was just supposed to be getting his son back and then Zeus was supposed to bring her home to her family. Every time she asked, Zeus just told her that it was a part of the contract that she signed. Rose didn’t question further. She should’ve read the contract. Rose had no idea what she even agreed to.   
Rose missed home and she thought about it a lot. She thought about the night she left. She missed taking care of her son and watching him play. He was so rambunctious. She missed the dingy old cottage that she seemed to be constantly cleaning. Not that there was a whole lot to clean. Rose even missed her husband. He made her feel special. He had a temper but his heart was in the right place. Rose should’ve thought about that more. She wished she had never left. Rose wanted someone to talk to and lean on. A part of her wondered how her family was getting on without her and another part of her didn’t even want to picture it. She wasn’t getting the fill that her social needs demanded. She was used to human contact and now she was holed up in goodness knows where. She felt like a prisoner. She was a prisoner.   
She wasn’t sure how long she had been here. It had to have been at least a couple of weeks. She would’ve kept tally marks if she had something to make tally marks with. Rose initially tried to count the days in her head but she lost track after twelve because they all seemed to blur together. Her routine had been; wake up, eat, practice magic, eat, practice more, eat, go to bed. It was a vicious cycle.   
She had no idea how she was even remembering everything she had been taught. It must’ve been the constant repetition. Everything seemed to be so fast paced. It was as if they didn’t have a moment to spare. She wasn’t sure when Hercules was supposed to be made a God but it must’ve been soon. Her whole life revolved around learning magic. Lately, she had been practicing a spell where she could alter her own appearance and make herself look like someone else. That spell was exhausting and Zeus always had a specific woman that he wanted Rose to change into. A woman who was slightly taller than herself with waves of deep red hair that was pulled back. Rose was even learning how to make herself appear in other places. Rose made herself appear in the room where she was kept and in the garden. She had tried to make herself appear in the Enchanted Forest but found that she could not do so. She figured that it either violated her contract or she could not use this spell to travel between the two realms.   
She decided she was going to start off today by practicing easier spells. Rose sat on the bed and practiced making Rumple’s baby blanket disappear and then reappear. She wondered how her son was getting on without it and she did not envy Malcolm for having to deal with that. At first, she had tried the trick with just her bag. She couldn’t risk losing her son’s blanket in the void. The bag, however, had no sentimental meaning to her. When she became comfortable enough with her own abilities, she tried the blanket. Zeus entered the room. He looked stern like he had something important to tell her. Perhaps she wasn’t what he was looking for and he wanted to let her go. She was being overly hopeful.   
“I’m sending you somewhere else to continue your lessons. My brother, Hades, will be able to teach you the rest of what you need to fulfill your task. You will find him on the other side of Greece. In fact, I will bring you to him.” Zeus told her. She packed her bag. When she looked back up, she was sitting on a bench outside what appeared to be a crumbling temple. Zeus was nowhere in sight. Rose looked around nervously. The temple was on a hill above a town. Across the way, she could see another temple but this was one pristine and in its glory. Was that where she was being held before? Was that where Zeus was?  
“You must be Rose. My brother mentioned you would be coming but he didn’t mention that you would be so skittish and fragile. I’m going to have to do a lot of work before we can put you to use.” A man, presumably Hades, informed. He was disheveled but not altogether unhandsome.   
“What exactly am I supposed to do?” Rose questioned. She was getting tired of the run around.   
“You must bring Hercules to me.” Hades stated. Rose looked at him incredulously.  
“I thought I was to bring him home to his father.” Rose replied. Hades took a step forward and Rose suppressed the urge to take a step back.  
“Bring him to me.” Hades reiterated. He made sure to enunciate each word.   
“Why shouldn’t I bring him home?” Rose inquired. Hades flicked his wrist and two contracts appeared. One of the contracts already had her signature on it.   
“You signed a contract with my dear brother that stated that you would bring his son home. Technically, all of Greece is his home so you aren’t violating anything in this contract. My contract is much better because you get something out of it. You bring me Hercules and I will give you eternal youth.” Hades offered.   
“And if I don’t sign?” Rose challenged. She tried her best to look intimidating which made Hades laugh.   
“How does eternity in the Underworld sound?” Hades suggested. He made a box shape with his hands and a picture appeared. In the picture was flames and chaos. Some people were burning and some just watched. Rose couldn’t look for very long. She signed the contract.   
“I’m not going home after this, am I?” Rose asked. She got no reply.

End of Flashback 


	9. Chapter Nine

Rumpelstiltskin’s POV   
His mother couldn’t die unless she ripped her own heart out and crushed it herself. That kind of information was extremely important and Rumple considered what he should do with it, if anything. He had to consider all of his options, of course. Belle also knew this information but she would never betray her friend like that. Rumple considered making a deal with Pan. The information for him and his families guaranteed safety. That way his parents could take their problems and deal with it themselves. He didn’t trust Peter Pan not to screw him over somehow in the deal. Rumple could kill his mother himself or rather, make her kill herself. Two birds with one stone; he gets his mother out of the way and his father would have no reason to stay in Storybrooke. That would be assuming that Pan left afterwards and didn’t stay to torture Rumple for all of eternity. Rumple briefly entertained the idea that if his mother should die, Pan would come after him. That would create an entirely different problem. They were all ideas that would solve his problems but he had to factor in both his parents’ magical abilities. His mother hadn’t used magic in front of him and he needed to be able to see what he was up against. Rumple also wasn’t sure how powerful Peter Pan was after being resurrected. If nothing has changed, then there was no way Rumple could carry out any plan without at least one of his parents on his side or out of the way. He needed to create a situation to gauge his parents’ magic. He had told the others that they needed to stay out of the problem and let them sort it out themselves but nothing was happening. Why was nothing happening? 

Meg’s POV   
Was her immortality worth it? Was it worth the pain she felt? Was it worth the loneliness? She had traded another soul for eternal youth but loneliness seemed to be the price she paid for keeping it. Maybe that’s why she couldn’t leave her husband. She knew that when all was said and done, he was the only one who would live as long as she. As much as she hated to admit it, she subconsciously made Pan her safety net. Rumple had immortality but he seemed to be constantly staring death in the face. He wouldn’t survive long after his Belle was gone. Meg didn’t have that problem. Peter Pan was here to stay and so was she. Meg considered ripping her own heart out and crushing but couldn’t give Pan the satisfaction.  
Meg had found his hiding place and was currently sitting inside waiting for him to come back. It was a tree house on the outer edges of the woods. There was magic used to hide it. It was so him and so incredibly obvious that it was clear why no one had found it. No one ever seemed to choose the most obvious answer. It went over their heads as if it wasn’t even an answer. The belongings were sparse. Not that she imagined Pan would be openly sentimental. There was a bed and a table but that was all the treehouse held for furniture. On the table was the rose that Pan had taken from her. She walked over and picked it up. She twirled it around in her hands and thought that she should take this opportunity to leave. Pan would immediately notice the missing belonging and know that she had found where he was hiding. He would either leave or confront her. Meg had nothing to say to him anyway. She placed the flower back in her bag. When she turned around, she was face to face with Pan. He backed her up against a wall and placed his hands on either side of her head. He had that stupid smirk on his face.   
“You never learn, do you, Rose?” Pan asked. He reached into her bag and pulled the flower out of her bag and placed it back on the table. She lifted her hand to use her magic to get out of there but Pan was quicker. He grabbed her wrist, placing a cuff on it in the same movement. She tried to use her magic and nothing happened.  
“What did you do to me?” Meg demanded. She tried pulling the cuff off but it wouldn’t budge.   
“What’s mine is mine and no one else can have it. You’re not going anywhere. You’ve gone through an awful lot of trouble to get back a flower that you didn’t even want in the first place.” Pan continued. Meg rolled her eyes.   
“Is this a metaphor for our relationship? Are you the flower in this situation?” Meg questioned. Pan’s nostril’s flared but he continued on.   
“How did you even find this place?” Pan changed the subject.   
“It was obvious. This hiding place is so you. It’s a treehouse in the woods. It’s a little on the nose, if you ask me.” Meg pointed out. She didn’t even bother trying to escape yet. He had the upper hand. He could just as easily freeze her in place.   
Peter Pan’s POV   
Peter picked up the rose and twirled it around a little bit. He saw Rose’s eyes dart towards the exit. She was smarter than that. She wouldn’t leave. Or had she grown stupider over the years?   
“You always knew me so well. You always knew what I was up to or at least that I was up to something. We aren’t killing each other. There isn’t even a fight. Not yet anyways. So tell me, Rose, who’s side are you on?” Pan asked her. She looked at him with a confused expression. She was also so good at pretending to be someone else. He knew that. She wanted the others to trust her but Pan knew where her heart belonged. He knew who she would come back to. She had no one else at the end of the day.   
“I’m on Rumple’s side.” She replied. It was exactly the answer he was expecting. His amusement grew. How far was she willing to go to deceive herself?   
“Now, why don’t I believe you? If you were really on Rumple’s side then why am I still alive. You’re magic isn’t that rusty. You don’t lose that kind of power over night.” Pan replied. She was the only one who could rival him. That’s what made her so interesting.   
He placed the rose in his palm and waved his free hand over it. It changed into a heart. Specifically, it was his heart. He waved his hand back over it, it glowed briefly, and then he stuck it back in his chest. Now it was a fair fight.   
“You gave me your heart?” Rose questioned. She seemed genuinely touched. Peter looked at her with disgust.   
“Don’t look so flattered. I needed a way to track you. I knew you would figure out that it wasn’t really a rose. Why didn’t you crush it?” Pan spat.   
“You once told me that to die would be an awfully big adventure. You’ve already died and so have I. It’s not that big of an adventure. It’s not an adventure at all. Living is the real adventure.” Rose answered.   
“You didn’t answer my question.” Pan pointed out.   
“I’m not on your side! I’m here to protect Rumple from you.” Rose exclaimed. She should’ve been angrier or at least more frightened.   
“Then why am I still alive?” Pan demanded.   
“Because it wouldn’t have been a fair fight.” Rose replied.   
“You’ve never cared about the odds. You only cared about surviving. So tell me, Rose, how are you going to survive this? How do you know I won’t keep you here until I figure out a way to kill you?” Pan demanded.  
“The others will come looking for me.” Rose said. There was solidarity in her voice.   
“They can’t save you if they can’t find you. Treehouse is camouflaged by magic.” Pan stated and he knew that he had her. She had walked right into the lion’s den without considering a way out. Somethings never change.   
Meg’s POV   
She should’ve been scared but ironically, she had found her courage. Meg was standing in a camouflaged treehouse having an argument with the only person who could challenge her magically and she had found her courage. Part of the reason being that she wasn’t really being held hostage. She just needed Pan to think that while she figured out the next part of her plan. Meg had remembered Belle telling her about the cuff when Belle recanted the story of Pan’s last visit.   
“Why didn’t you use magic to protect your heart to begin with and use something else to track me? How did you know that I wouldn’t crush it?” Meg asked.   
“You wouldn’t crush the illusion that you could one day have a happy family. You were always trying to tie me down and make me grow up.” Pan spat.  
“Excuse me, but if I remember correctly, you were the one who proposed and you were the one who begged to bring a child into this world. We could’ve continued with our adventures. I would’ve went to Neverland with you. I would’ve gone anywhere and done anything with you. I loved you.” Meg admitted. Nothing shocked her more than what he said next.  
“Do you still?” Peter asked. She couldn’t tell if he was genuinely interested or trying to find more weaknesses.

Flashback 

Meg walked into a tavern and scouted the place out for a seat. It was so loud and all she wanted was a drink to forget everything that had happened. She didn’t want to remember Hercules or Peter Pan or Malcolm. She didn’t want to remember the poor girl that she had to kill to get her name. She was glad when she no longer had to wear the glamor. She only kept the name Meg because Rose was presumed dead by most of the Enchanted Forest. That, and Rose was associated with Peter Pan. Of course, you only learned these things if you listened to the gossip.   
She spotted a young woman reading a book in the back corner. What an odd place to read. Meg got herself a drink and made her way over.  
“Do you mind if I sit here?" Meg asked. The young woman put her book down.  
“No, not at all. I’m Belle.” She introduced herself.  
“My name is Meg. If I might, this is an odd place to read a book.” Meg pointed. Belle smiled.   
“I know. I think it’s something to do with the noise. It helps me concentrate better on what I’m reading. Where are you from? I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.” Belle stated.   
“I’m from around here, actually. I’ve been away for a while. I left my husband a long time ago and I’ve only just found my way back. I came to find my boy.” Meg told her.   
“You don’t look old enough to be married.” Belle observed.  
“It’s a long story.” Meg replied.   
“I could help you find your son, if you like.” Belle offered. Meg was touched by the offer. There was a ruckus at the front of the bar. She looked up to see Blackbeard.  
“I need to go but if I come back in a couple of days to find you, will you promise to help me find my son?” Meg asked.  
“Of course. Where are you going?” Belle asked. Meg left without answering.

End of Flashback 


	10. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So to clear something up, in Chapter 7 I wrote that Pan knew how to kill Meg and then contradicted that statement in Chapter 8. I apologize for the mistake. Pan doesn't know how to kill her.

“Do you still love me?” Pan reiterated. His face was unreadable. Meg couldn’t tell if he was genuinely interested or if he was playing her.   
“What difference does it make?” Meg retorted, narrowing her eyes. Neither of them moved.  
“All the difference in the world.” Peter replied with a steady voice.   
“You didn’t follow me to Storybrooke to profess your love. You and I both know that. If my love really mattered, you wouldn’t have cuffed me and held me captive. So what? Are you going to spare them if I say yes and kill them if I say no? Are planning on bringing me back to Neverland?” Meg questioned. She was hoping for a reaction.   
“What say you and I play a new game? You do as I say and the town stays alive. You don’t and they all die.” Pan stated. Meg could feel her anger start to bubble.  
“I don’t really have a choice, do I? You might as well tell me what you want from me.” Meg said. There was a slight burning sensation in her wrist.   
“I want you to tell Rumple that you’re on my side now.” Pan stated. Meg laughed.   
“You have got to be out of your mind. Rumple may believe me at first but Belle won’t. If Belle doesn’t believe me, she’ll convince Rumple that something is wrong.” She replied.  
“Then you better be convincing. Oh, and I’m not taking the cuff off. I can’t risk you turning on me.” Pan said, nodding at the cuff on Meg’s arm. She glared at him.   
“Now run along and spread the good news. I expect you back before sundown.” Pan demanded and moved away from the exit. Meg kept eye contact with him as she exited the treehouse. She walked all the way to the pawnshop. During her walk, she was left to face the fact that she had the weight of the whole town on her shoulders. Meg would never be able to live with herself if their blood was on her hands. Maybe that was the point. He wanted her to kill herself and save him the effort. She could feel the anger start to rise again as she walked into the pawn shop. To her surprise, and dismay, Belle wasn’t there. Only Rumple.   
Before her son could ask anything, Meg lifted her arm to reveal the cuff. Rumple looked more than a little amused.   
“Can you take this off?” Meg asked, irritated that her son found this so funny.  
“And irritate one of the few people that has more power than myself? I don’t think so.” Rumple replied.  
“If you take this cuff off of me, I will show you where Pan is hiding and let you watch while I burn it to the ground.” Meg offered. Rumple’s amusement grew.   
“As tempting as that sounds, it won’t kill Pan. He’ll notice the fire immediately and escape. I’m afraid it will only anger him. You’re going to have to do better than that. What did you promise him?” Rumple inquired. Meg glared.   
“Nothing. He demanded that I join his side and that if I didn’t, he would kill the whole town.” Meg answered. He didn’t look surprised.   
“All the more reason for me to leave the cuff on.” Rumple pointed out. He had a glint of curiosity in his eyes. It was the same look that Peter Pan when he was up to something. Her frustration grew.  
“I can handle him.” Meg insisted. She was probably the only one who stood a chance.   
“I don’t think you can. I haven’t even seen you use magic.” Rumple stated matter-of-factly.   
“Take the cuff off and I’ll show you.” Meg challenged and held out her wrist.   
“Not going to happen.” Rumple said. Meg clenched her jaw to prevent the onslaught of words that were on the tip of her tongue. She took a deep breath.  
“So you’re just going to hand me over to him? That’s it? Not even going to try and help me?” Meg demanded. She would have ended it by stating that she was his mother but what right did she have to that title?   
“By the sounds of it, you handed yourself over to him. You’re going to have to find your own way out of this, mother.” Rumple exclaimed. At this point, Meg’s blood was boiling.   
How could he just do that to her? How could he have the ability to help her and not lift a finger? All he had to do was pull the cuff off and she would deal with the rest. She was visibly shaking with anger. She clenched her fists. There was a burning sensation in her wrist. She looked down to see the final bit of the cuff disintegrate. Meg held her arm up in awe.   
“What just happened?” Meg asked, distractedly.   
“I believe that you just became so angry that you literally burned the cuff off. You’re magic might be more powerful than I originally thought.” Rumple replied. She looked over at him and narrowed her eyes. He looked impressed…or did he look smug?   
“You knew this would happen. You angered me on purpose.” Meg accused.   
“I angered you to prove a point. Now I believe you offered to show me where Peter Pan was hiding.” Rumple reminded. Meg smiled.  
“Allow me.” Meg offered and with a flick of her wrist, they were both in front of Pan’s treehouse. This was so much easier than walking and yet, almost as draining.  
Meg put a finger to her lips and waved her hand over the area where the treehouse was. Nothing happened. She mouthed “blood magic” to Rumple and he got the hint. He mimicked her earlier movement and the treehouse was revealed. Without hesitation, Meg snapped her fingers and the forest seemed to freeze. At least, everything within a ten foot radius did.   
“What are you doing?” Rumple demanded, obviously annoyed. Meg rolled her eyes.   
“I’m buying us some time. You were right. Burning down the treehouse wouldn’t kill him. It would only anger him. However, he’ll be angry if I don’t show up before sundown or if I show up without a cuff. How am I going to explain to him that it disintegrated?” Meg asked.   
“You don’t go to him. He’ll come to you.” Rumple stated, matter-of-factly.   
“Rumpelstiltskin, have you lost your mind? He will murder the whole town before he comes looking for me.” Meg pointed out. Rumple shook his head.   
“He’ll try to kill you first.” He said.   
“No, he’ll kill me last so that I have to watch him kill everyone else.” Meg argued.   
“That might be his original plan but once he finds out that you no longer have the cuff, he’ll try to kill you.” Rumple paused for a moment and then continued, “If you can only be killed by pulling out your heart and crushing it yourself, how did Blackbeard kill you?”   
“By forcing me to do exactly that.” Meg stated and refused to tell her son the gory details. He didn’t seem interested in finding out anyway. She could still feel Blackbeard’s hand gripping her own and forcing it into her chest. She shuddered at the memory.  
“Pan will try to kill you first. He’s going to be angry and shocked when he sticks a knife through your heart and finds you still alive.” Rumple said. Meg laughed at the absurdity.  
“I think the word you’re looking for is afraid. He’s going to be angry and afraid when he sticks a knife through my chest and finds me still alive.” Meg corrected.

Flashback 

“You want me to do what?” Rose practically yelled at Hades. A few weeks ago, if you had told her she would be having an argument with the God of the Underworld, she would’ve thought you were nuts but here she was.  
“You have to kill Megara and assume her identity. With a glamour and some work, you’ll be able pull off pretending to be her.” Hades reiterated. Rose threw her hands up in frustration.  
“Why do I have to kill her? Why can’t we kidnap her or drug her or something?” Rose questioned.   
“We need to be one hundred percent sure that she won’t wake up and go looking for Hercules.” Hades defended. Rose walked up to Hades.  
“Are you telling me that you, a God, cannot watch an unconscious body for a few days? Can’t you just drop her soul in that swarming pit of other souls until we get Hercules back here?” Rose suggested.   
“NO! She has to die. It’s the only way and you have to kill her because you signed the contract.” Hades stated. Rose gritted her teeth. There had to be another way.   
“If she has to be the one to coerce Hercules, why not contract her? Why go through me?” Rose asked. Hades looked like he could’ve killed her. She half hoped that he would.  
“Why? I’ll tell you why, you snot-nosed brat. There’s a prophecy. If we got her to do the dirty work, she would eventually fall in love with him and true love conquers all. But you, oh you, your heart already belongs to another. There’s no risk of you falling in love with Hercules. You’re not as much of a liability.” Hades informed.   
“I don’t have true love and I’m not going to kill someone who does. If you want her dead, you kill her.” Rose exclaimed.   
“I don’t really care if you lie to yourself about having true love but you will kill her because you signed the contract.” Hades told her.

End of Flashback 


	11. Chapter Eleven

So Meg stayed at the pawnshop and waited for Pan to find her. A million scenarios played in her head. What else was she going to do? She certainly wasn’t going to walk to her certain death. She was no hero. Plus, death wasn’t even the ending it promised to be. Not for her. The Underworld was bad enough the first time. The others had come to try and think of a plan. They were hitting so many dead ends. They still didn’t know Pan’s end game and Meg wasn’t sure she could kill him. She had spaced out for a better part of the conversation as she tried to find her own solution so she wasn’t sure how the others had ended up here.   
“How strong is your magic?” Emma asked. Meg shook herself out of her daze. She said the first thing that came to mind.  
“Not strong enough to protect the entire town.” Meg answered. In truth, she wasn’t sure how strong it was.   
“Is it enough to slow down Pan?” Emma questioned. Meg nodded, cautiously. She didn’t like where this was going.   
“It should be. What do you need me to do?” Meg asked. Before anyone could say anything, Regina stepped forward. She waved a hand over Meg’s arm and a cuff appeared. It looked exactly like the one she had earlier. Meg looked up startled.  
“Don’t worry, you can still use your magic. It’s a fake. Just to buy us some time. Go back to Pan’s hideout.” Regina stated. Meg hesitated.   
“We’ll come get you, I promise.” Belle reassured. Meg nodded and walked back to the treehouse. It was nearly sundown. She started to jog to make up for lost time. She climbed up the ladder and made her way inside. To both her relief and dismay, her husband wasn’t there.   
There was nothing she could do but sit and wait and think. She couldn’t use her magic because she had to keep up the charade that the cuff was real. She couldn’t stay with the others because she needed Pan to think that she was on his side now. All the while, she had to trust that her son and her new companions would have a halfway decent rescue plan. Assuming they didn’t just leave her with Pan for the rest of eternity.   
“I must say, Rose, I’m surprised you came back.” Pan stated, pulling her out of her thoughts.   
“Where else would I go? I have no magic. Rumple hates me now that he thinks I’m on your side. I don’t have anyone. I’m a Lost Girl. And where do Lost Children go? To Peter Pan, because Peter Pan never fails.” Meg replied. She didn’t know what scared her more; the fact that she half-believed what she said or the smile on her husband’s face when she said it.   
“So what? You’re going to keep me prisoner? Keep me in a cage with this cuff on for eternity?” Meg demanded.  
“I think that you’ve proven that you can’t be trusted with magic. There is one thing that you could do just to prove to Rumple, and more importantly to myself, that you’re really on my side; help me to destroy the entire town. If you help me with that, then you can have your magic back.” Pan said nonchalantly.   
“That wasn’t the deal that we made, Malcolm. You said that if I was on your side then you would spare them!” Meg yelled, half surprised that she called him by his given name. She didn’t even get a chance to mention that there was no way she could destroy a town without magic, even if she wanted to.   
“But you’re not on my side, are you, Rose? They’ll probably try to save you which is a bad move on their part because you’re not on their side either. You’re on your side. You’ve always been on your side.” Pan spat. Pan lifted his hand and in it was the cuff.  
Instinctively, she looked down to see for sure that it was gone. Pan rolled his eyes at the imitation cuff. She tried to freeze Pan where he stood. It didn’t work. Pan had somehow deflected it. Confused and surprised, she tried again. Once again, he deflected it. They were circling each other now. They never broke eye contact.   
“How’d you know?” Meg questioned.   
“I made the cuff! I know a fake when I see one. What happened to mine?” Pan demanded.   
“It incinerated right off my wrist.” Meg informed. Pan looked mildly impressed.   
“I knew your magic was more powerful than you let on. It’s a shame that you waste it when you could use it for so much more.” Pan said. Why wasn’t he making any moves? Why was he just dodging hers?   
“And what do you suggest I do with it, dearest?” Meg questioned. He didn’t answer. In the blink of an eye, he had taken a knife out of his pocket and threw it. It pierced her heart.   
At first she didn’t feel anything but shock. It didn’t take long for the excruciating pain to kick in and she screamed. She had crumpled to the floor in pain.  
“What are you doing?” Meg yelled, trying to hold herself up on her elbows.   
“I had to test out a theory. I was curious. Ever since I was unable to rip your heart out, I wondered how or if I could kill you.” Pan explained, he reached over and pulled the knife out. Meg’s wound healed almost immediately. She sighed in relief at the absence of pain.   
“Apparently your deal came with more perks than mine. Which is exactly why I need you. I can’t get a deal with the God’s. It would take too much time and I’ve already got you. So I planned this whole set up. I planned your reunion with Rumple and made sure you thought I was going to kill you. I still might. I helped Belle reach out to you. I pretended to be Belle to see where your head was at. I made you think that you had to reveal your past in order to win. I let you find my treehouse because I knew you couldn’t resist trying to find where I was hiding.” Pan continued.   
Meg sat up in shock. He had planned the whole thing. He had planned every last detail of her coming to Storybrooke. He knew exactly how everyone was going to react. She had played right into his plan by trying to figure out his plan. She had spent too much time overthinking. Meg was reminded once again that they were all pawns in his game. She felt numb.   
“What do you need my magic for?” Meg asked, absently.   
“To bring back Neverland. Amongst other things.” Pan stated. She looked at him incredulously.   
“I have a lot of power but not that much. I can’t bring back a place that may or may not exist. Do you know how much magic that would take? I could die.” Meg protested. Pan kneeled down in front of her.   
“That’s not really true, is it?” Pan asked. There was no concern. He was mocking her. He wasn’t killing her because he needed her alive. It was getting harder and harder to believe that she loved him.   
“Fine, let’s say that I can bring back Neverland, and that’s a big if, what next?” Meg questioned.   
“That’s not for you to worry about, Rose. One step at a time.” Pan told her.  
“You asked me if I still loved you. When you asked I almost said yes. Now, I can’t believe that I ever did.” Meg admitted. For a brief second, there was hurt in his eyes. He quickly changed it back to his nonchalant demeanor.   
“Whatever helps you sleep at night…dearest.” He mocked, and then winked at her.

Flashback 

Meg walked around the woods looking for the seer that was rumored to live here. She had been searching for hours and was seriously beginning to doubt that the seer was even here. Maybe the story was wrong or something got lost in translation. Meg’s frustration set in.   
“You won’t win him back this way.” A voice said from behind her. She turned around and saw a red haired little girl whose eyes appeared to be sewn shut. More accurately, it looked like they were sutured shut and someone forgot the necessary thread. The girl held her hands up and sure enough, there were her eyes. This had to be the seer.   
“I’m not trying to win anyone back.” Meg protested. The seer’s expression stayed uninterested but Meg could feel the little girl’s judgment.  
“There is a price to be paid for reuniting with your son.” The seer warned. Meg looked at her confused. She wasn’t reuniting with her son just yet. Hopefully soon but she had other tasks to accomplish first.  
“What price?” Meg asked. Her question was followed by silence. Meg rolled her eyes.   
“What price?” Meg reiterated, her tone more demanding than before. It was met again with silence.   
“I don’t have time for this.” Meg stated. With the flick of her wrist, the seer was trapped inside a cage.   
“LET ME OUT!” The little girl yelled. Meg ignored her and put a blanket-like covering over the top. She then moved the cart to the edge of the camp where she knew her son was. She found the nearest soldier.  
“I need you to guard this and do not open it no matter what you hear. It’s a prisoner. It may help with us win the war.” She instructed. She handed him all the money she had. It wasn’t much but she then described her son to the man and told the soldier to have him guard the cage instead. The soldier didn’t ask questions, only nodded. Meg left but she didn’t go far.  
Meg made sure to find a place that would allow her to see what was going on but also make sure that she was out of sight. It killed her that she had to do this but there was no way Rumple would survive the Ogre Wars. Nobody did. Meg needed him alive.   
There he was. The soldier was now explaining to Rumple what needed to be done. Meg didn’t want to stay to watch but couldn’t leave yet. She had to be sure to release the seer afterwards. She watched as her son lifted the covering on the cage. He looked appalled. She couldn’t see the seer but Meg could see her son’s reaction. He showed disgust, disbelief, and concern. Eventually, he was relieved of guarding the seer. Meg waited until she was sure that her son wouldn’t see her before going to get the seer.

End of Flashback 


	12. Chapter Twelve

Meg’s POV 

It had been a couple of days and Meg was seriously doubting that the others were coming to save her. Why was it taking so long? Rumple knew where the treehouse was hidden. Did they not have a good enough plan? Were they going to leave her there? She had been holed up in this treehouse with her psychotic husband. The worst part was that he wasn’t even talking to her. He just sat there in silence. Sometimes he paced. Pan left a couple of times for a span of a few hours. He used magic to keep her sealed in. Meg was stuck with her thoughts. She was about ready to rip her own heart out. Maybe that was what Pan was hoping for. She didn’t remember it being such a chore to live with him. He was never an easy person to live with but it wasn’t this hard, was it? Of course that was lifetimes ago and they had both changed so much. Back then, there weren’t so many mixed emotions.  
Meg had had a lot of time to think while she was being imprisoned indefinitely. She spent some of the time making plans and some of the time reminiscing. Her plans ranged anywhere from escaping to surrendering and being whatever he wanted her to be. She briefly entertained the idea that they would rule Neverland together. She considered the fact that she would have to leave Rumple again and it broke her heart but she had to protect him by any means necessary. If that meant playing into whatever game Peter Pan had planned, then so be it. Meg reminisced about a time before Pan became this monster. She remembered how excited he was to be a father. She remembered how proud he was when he first held his son. She remembered how proud they both were when Rumple took his first steps. It had been right after dinner. Rose had set him down to clean up the kitchen. Rumple was always so bright and curious. He had to go see what his father was doing. He had stood himself up on the leg of a table and wobbled a few steps before falling down. He didn’t even cry. He got back up and kept going. Rumple must’ve fallen four times before reaching Malcolm but that little boy was so determined.   
Meg thought about how she had become accustomed to being called “Meg” and how Pan insisted on calling her “Rose”. She used to love her given name. It was simple and pretty. It was elegant but like everything else, Pan had to ruin it for her. Now every time she heard her name, all she could hear was his voice saying it. It was painful and alluring like drinking hot tea even though you know you’ll burn your tongue. Meg had spent most of her life avoiding anything that reminded her of her husband. She even went so far as to change her own identity. Of course, being stuck in a treehouse with him defeated the purpose of avoiding anything that reminded her of him. She might as well make the best of a bad situation. Meg had decided which plan she was going to go with. She sat on the bed next to him.  
“I think I’m done with being Meg. I mean that was never really me anyway. I had to kill someone to get that name. It was horrible. She cried. I cried and then I had to pretend to be her. That was exhausting. Somewhere along the way, I tried to distance myself from anything that reminded me of you. I literally had to become someone else. Let me tell you, dearest, I’m tired. I just want to be Rose again.” Rose admitted. Pan rolled his eyes.  
“You’ve always been Rose to me. I never cared much for Meg but whatever heart to heart you think is going to happen, it’s not. Nothing has changed. Stop wasting your breath.” Pan spat. Rose raised an eyebrow but continued on.  
“I’m serious, Peter. I want to be Rose again. I want to be your Rose again. I miss the adventure. I miss the passion. No more kids. I think we’ve proven that we are terrible parents. Just you and me against the world.” Rose stated. She wasn’t sure if she meant it or not. Some parts of it rang true. They were terrible parents and she did miss the adventure. If she was being completely honest, Rose did miss the passion too.   
“What about Rumple?” Pan asked. His posture was rigid. He wanted to believe her but he couldn’t. Not after last time. The first time. He had every right to be skeptical. In a messed up way, all the horrible things he had done was to protect his heart.   
Rose was conflicted. She hated him and loved him. She understood why he was the way he was but she wasn’t excusing his behavior. Rose wasn’t exactly a saint and she knew it. She considered carefully how to respond to Pan.   
“I don’t want to leave him again but this wasn’t exactly the reunion I was hoping for. It’s been too long and he doesn’t need me interfering with his life. As far as he’s concerned, he’s better off without either of us.” Rose replied. Now she wasn’t sure who she was fooling; Pan or herself. Peter cocked his head to the side. She had caught his interest and now he was thinking.   
“I’ll make you a deal, Rose…” Pan began. Rose cut him off by placing a finger to his lips. She shook her head, removed the finger from his lips, and put her hand on his cheek. She pulled his face towards her so that he was looking at her.   
“No more deals. No more lies. Just you and me against the world.” Rose whispered. She pressed a kiss against his lips.

Flashback 

“I’m sorry, you want me to do what?” Meg asked. She was currently standing in front of The Evil Queen. Hook brought her here. He said he needed a favor from someone with her level of magic. He went so far as to say that he trusted her.   
“I didn’t stutter! I need you to go to Wonderland and steal a potion from my mother.” Regina reiterated. Meg pursed her lips and nodded.  
“Your mother, the Queen of Hearts? I’ve heard rumors about her and none of them are pretty. I’d rather you send me back to my husband in Neverland.” Meg spat.   
“Meg,” Hook warned. Regina looked furious like she was actually considering sending Meg back to Peter Pan. Meg let out a sigh.  
“Alright I’ll do it but only as a favor to Hook. What exactly am I looking for? How do I get there? How do I get back? Assuming that the Queen of Hearts doesn’t kill me first.” Meg said reluctantly. Regina smiled and it sent shivers up Meg’s spine. She was already regretting her decision to come here.

End of Flashback 


	13. Chapter Thirteen

If Rose could take back one thing from today, it would be waking up. That’s when her day started going terribly. She wouldn’t regret the crazy night she spent with Pan. She wouldn’t regret all the wonderful and terrible words that they exchanged. She wouldn’t regret the kisses or anything after that. She did, however, regret waking up.   
It wasn’t even her choice to wake up. Peter shook her awake. Rose propped herself up on her elbow and found that her search and rescue party had finally arrived. They were three days late and looked both surprised and appalled. She wasn’t ready to explain this to everyone else. She couldn’t even explain it to herself. They hadn’t even discussed what they were. Rose already had a good idea of what was going through Peter’s head when they both sat up and he grabbed her hand, interlacing their fingers. It was oddly comforting. It occurred to Rose that he was being openly affectionate because he wanted to make Rumple angry and Pan loved everyone’s disgusted reactions.   
There had been a lot of old wounds that were reopened these past couple weeks. Hopefully, somethings could be let go and left in the past. Whatever was going to happen, whether she was ready or not, at least she wouldn’t have to deal with it alone. They had all done terrible things. Most of which, she wanted to forget or at least, move past.  
Rose didn’t even know why she loved Peter. Maybe it was for the same reasons he loved her. She loved his passion and his fiery personality. Some part of her loved even the darkest parts of him. Rose secretly liked the chaos that he wrought. He made life interesting. Rose loved that he was always up for an adventure. Even though it irritated her, Rose loved that he could be possessive. She never had to doubt his loyalties. She knew he was terrible and she wasn’t excusing his past behavior. Rose let out a sigh. It was too early to be thinking about all of this. She shouldn’t have to explain this to anyone. They were adults. Well, kind of. They looked like teenagers and still kind of acted like teenagers but they were centuries old. She sneaked a look at Pan and he was smirking. Rumple was the first to say anything after the long silence.  
“What is going on here?” He demanded. As if to provoke Rumple, Pan removed his hand from hers and snaked it around her waist, pulling her closer.   
“Isn’t it obvious?” Pan retorted. Rose rolled her eyes.   
“Are you two back together? Just like that? For the last week and half, you’ve been taunting each other and ready to kill one another. How did this happen?” Belle asked.   
“Well, the first day was mostly tension and silence. Last night, we started talking. Rather, I started talking about how I was done being Meg because that wasn’t my real name. That was a persona that I stole. I kept it as a way to distance myself from Malc—Peter. One thing led to another and here we are.” Rose explained. Everyone seemed to share one incredulous look. Rumple’s stood out the most. He looked like he could combust.   
“So, did you guys actually talk about your problems or did you just…?” Snow asked. Rose could feel the blush creeping up her cheeks as she hid her face in Peter’s shoulder.  
“Oh my God.” She heard Rumple mutter. This must have been mortifying for him. Rose couldn’t even begin to comprehend what her son was feeling. She didn’t have to look to know that Pan was smirking. She took a deep breath and looked at the group in front of her.  
“Look, I know this is weird but we are married. I know that we have a lot of issues to work through but I don’t have to explain myself to any of you. It’s messed up but it works. We’re happy.” Rose stated.   
“If it makes you feel any better, we’ve decided not to have any more children.” Peter stated.  
“We know we’re the worst parents probably to ever exist. I mean, you’re the Dark One and you’ve committed countless atrocities. The worst part is, I don’t think I’m going out on a limb when I say, we’re lucky that you turned out as well as you did.” Rose added. Instead of saying anything, Rumple just left. Everyone else soon followed.  
Rose laid back down and laid an arm over her eyes. She felt Peter lay down next to her.   
“That went better than expected.” Peter exclaimed. Rose removed her arm from over her eyes and stared at her husband skeptically.   
“How do you figure?” She asked. He shrugged.  
“He didn’t yell. No magic was used. Not that he could have killed either of us. All in all, I’d call that a win.” Peter stated. Rose nodded in agreement. She laid her head on his shoulder.   
“I guess but we’re going to have to deal with that at one point or another.” Rose pointed out. Pan made a face.   
“We could leave for a couple of centuries. Maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll be dead when we get back.” He joked. Rose hit his chest.  
“That’s a terrible thing to say about your child.” Rose replied, with a laugh.  
“First of all, he’s no longer a child. He’s long past that. We look more like children than he does. Second, he’s a terrible person.” Pan said.   
“Well, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!” Rose exclaimed. They were both laughing at this point.

Flashback 

Like most of the people in the village, Rose had grown up in a relatively poor family. Her family owned a small portion of farmland and they sold what they didn’t need to survive. Rose was the oldest of four children. There was a lot of responsibility placed on her shoulders. Rose was expected to help her mother with the housework and take care of her younger siblings. She loved her younger siblings dearly but they drove her insane. They were always fighting or crying or both. Rose was also sent on errands whenever her father needed her to go. Some days, Rose wished that she could fly away. She didn’t want the responsibility that was thrusted upon her. She wanted to act like the child she never got to be. Rose wanted to have fun and be silly. Rose didn’t want the mundane life that her parents led.   
The chance to make her life a little more exciting came when she met Malcolm. She noticed that he and a couple of other boys had run into the forest. Rose became curious and she decided to follow them. They didn’t even notice her. She was sure to stay a safe distance away. A couple of times they stopped and Rose had to hide behind a tree. The boys eventually started laughing and running again. She wanted to know what they were so excited about. She couldn’t quite here their excited whispers but she couldn’t contain her own excitement. They stopped in front of an abandoned cottage. Rose watched curiously until one of the boys noticed her. He placed himself in front of the others. He was obviously the leader.   
“What are you doing here? Who are you?” He demanded. His tone was harsh and Rose didn’t particularly like that. She furrowed her brows.   
“Who are you? What are you doing at this abandoned cottage? Don’t you have work to do?” Rose chastised, her tone was just as harsh. She cringed internally because she sounded like her mother.   
“I’m Malcolm. What the boys and I are doing here is none of your business. Run along.” He replied, gesturing for her to leave. Rose placed her hands on her hips.  
“I’m not going anywhere and you can’t make me.” Rose challenged. The boy, Malcolm, smirked. He took a step forward and so did she.   
“I like you. You’ve got fire. What’s your name, love?” Malcolm asked. Rose smirked.   
“Rose.” She replied. Malcolm smiled.   
“The prettiest Rose I ever did see.” Malcolm said and Rose blushed.

End of Flashback 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you guys know, I'm going to be wrapping this up soon so if you have any requests for chapter ideas, let me know! You guys are awesome!


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter. I hope you guys like it! You guys are awesome!

Rose walked into her son’s pawnshop for what she hoped wouldn’t be the last time. However, if her son asked her to leave, she would honor his wishes. Rumple walked out of the back room and stopped behind the glass counter. He was facing her. His expression was guarded.   
“What do you want, mother?” He demanded. There was no anger in his voice. That was worse. She would prefer if he would yell or show some frustration. He sounded tired.   
“I wanted to talk to you about what you walked in on the other day.” Rose started, her tone cautious. It wasn’t going to be easy but they would get through this. She had to believe that.   
“We don’t need to talk about it.” Rumple insisted. Rose walked over to the counter so that she was standing in front of him. She wasn’t going to let him shut her out.   
“Yes, we do because that’s what families do. They communicate and work through issues. I’ve already told your father that I’m not playing this game where I have to pick between the two of you and he agreed to stop. Probably because we just got back together and he knows that I would always choose you over him. I’m not asking for you to like each other but at least tolerate one another. I understand that you might feel betrayed or angry at how everything turned out but it’ll be better this time.” Rose continued. Rumple laughed but there was no humor in it.  
“What makes you so sure, mother? Have you deluded yourself into thinking that he’s changed? He’s not the man you married all those years ago. He can’t be that man again. He doesn’t care about you. He cares about his power and how he can get yours.” Rumple snapped. Finally, some kind of emotion. They were talking. It was progress.   
“I can see why you would think that and the thought did cross my mind. You’re wrong though. I can tell when he’s playing me and believe me, this isn’t one of those times. If you don’t trust my judgment, trust Belle’s. Why else do you think she agreed to use me as Pan’s weakness? I would bet anything that she knew it would turn out like this.” Rose challenged. Rumple stood there in shock and realization.   
“No,” He said, shaking his head, “I saw her face. She was just as surprised as the rest of us.”  
“Well, imagining something and seeing it happen are two very different circumstances.” Rose pointed out.   
“Villains don’t get happy endings, mother.” Rumple argued. This time it was Rose’s turn to laugh.   
“Except for you, of course.” Rose snapped.   
“I told you that talking to him would be a waste of time.” Pan exclaimed. Rose felt her husband’s arm around her waist.   
“The only waste of time here is you.” Rumple replied. Rose could feel the anger bubbling up inside.  
“That’s it!” Rose yelled. “Rumple, you are throwing a tantrum like a child. Your father and I are back together and you are going to just have to deal with it. I tried to be nice and talk to you about it. I really do want you to be okay with this. I tried to be empathetic because this is weird, for all of us, but this is ridiculous. And you, Peter Pan, we agreed that you would be tolerable. Now, I want you both to be respectful to each other or I will find a way to kill you both.” Rose warned. Peter pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head.  
“Sorry, love.” He murmured. Rumple made a face. Rose noticed and rolled her eyes.   
“Let’s settle this once and for all; ask Belle. If she admits it, then you have to stop this tantrum. If she doesn’t, then your father and I will leave Storybrooke.” Rose challenged. Rumple raised an eyebrow.  
“Well, mother, let’s go ask Belle so that you two can be on your way.” He replied.   
They walked down to the library. Rose and Peter were holding hands and Rumple didn’t dare to look back at them as he led the way. No one spoke a word. They finally reached their destination.   
“What are you guys doing here?” Belle asked, surprised.   
“My mother has got it in her head that you only agreed to let us use her as Pan’s weakness because you knew they were meant to be together.” Rumple explained. There was a hint of arrogance in his voice.   
“She’s absolutely right. As messed up as it is, what they have is true love.” Belle stated, in a matter of fact tone.   
“What?” Rumple asked, obviously annoyed and surprised.   
“Do you honestly think that I would voluntarily let my friend go into a dangerous situation? If Rose were walking into a trap, I would have never let you guys go along with that plan. I knew you had no intention of saving her. You were hoping that they would kill each other.” Belle accused.   
“Well, it seemed more likely than them falling disgustingly in love with each other.” Rumple argued.  
“We fell disgustingly back in love with each other.” Pan interjected. Rose shook her head.   
“I can’t say that I’m surprised that you would leave me at the hands of your father. If you want to pretend like we’re inconveniences to your life then fine. As soon as we figure out how to get to Neverland or create a new Neverland, we’ll be leaving Storybrooke. I’ll leave you with this; I’m your mother and I will always love you, Rumpelstiltskin.” Rose exclaimed.   
A year later  
Rose sat on the beach and buried her feet in the sand. As it turned out, Neverland wasn’t completely gone. There was still just enough of it there to bring it back. Pan and Rose only stayed in Storybrooke for a month after the incident at the library. They hadn’t seen Rumple since. He had made himself scarce. Rose wrote letters to Belle to keep her friend updated on everything that was going on. So much had changed in the last year. She would’ve written to Rumple but Rose knew that he would throw the letter away without so much as opening it. Rose trusted that Belle would tell him what was going on and try to get through to him. She gazed up at the stars that twinkled so brightly.   
When they first arrived back at Neverland, it was great. They were constantly moving about the island to see if there were any new hiding spots or if there was anything new at all. There wasn’t but that didn’t matter. It was still an adventure. Shortly after, Peter began to complain that the island was too quiet. She knew what he was going to suggest.   
“You can’t just steal people’s children, Peter! Just because they might feel lost for a second does mean that you can take them!” Rose argued. They were just about to go to bed when he had brought the conversation up.  
“It’s not stealing if they come willingly. Plus, what if they feel lost for two seconds?” Pan countered. Rose rolled her eyes. He could be so immature sometimes. She straightened up in bed as she came up with a great idea.   
“What if you send the shadow to take children from orphanages? That way the island is filled with children to play with and those children also get a home. They’re still lost children.” Rose suggested.   
Pan was reluctant at first but he came around. Rose closed her eyes as she could hear the sound of children laughing. She invited Rumple and Belle to come to the island but they politely declined. Well, Belle sent a letter thanking Rose for the invitation but Rumple was still holding a grudge. Rose understood why he was so angry. She closed her eyes and tried not to let the tears fall. She heard Peter come up behind her. He sat down with his legs on either side of her. He placed a hand on her swollen abdomen.   
They hadn’t meant for it to happen. It was an accident. They had been using protection but sometimes things happen. Rumple was jealous and angry. He felt betrayed and Rose understood.   
“We have to go back to Storybrooke, don’t we?” Pan asked, irritated and tired. Rose nodded.   
“I have to make things right with Rumple. I gave him space but I am not losing him again.” Rose stated. She could feel the annoyance radiating off of Pan. His distaste for his son was still obvious and probably always would be. Rose remembered the night that she told Peter that she was pregnant.   
She wiped at her tear stained cheeks and tried to steady her breath before she entered the treehouse. This wasn’t like last time. They didn’t plan this. They agreed that they wouldn’t have any more children. She had just gotten her husband back and she couldn’t lose him again. Rose took a deep breath as she climbed up the ladder to the treehouse.   
“What’s wrong?” Peter demanded. She couldn’t help but smile a little. The smile faded when she realized that she had to tell him. She closed her eyes to try and prevent herself from crying again.  
“I’m…pregnant.” Rose whispered. Silence. She took a chance and opened her eyes. Peter was smirking.   
“I hope this one’s a girl.” He replied. Rose looked at him, confused.  
“You’re not…mad?” She questioned.   
“Of course not! You’re the one who said you didn’t want any more children.” Peter pointed out.  
They arrived in Storybrooke a couple weeks later. It was weird to leave the island and to leave the children to fend for themselves. Rose was nervous for two reasons; the first being that she had no idea what she was going to say to Rumple and the second being that she was uncomfortably close to her due date. She could go into labor at any moment. She stood in front of the library where she last saw her son. Rose and Belle arranged for Rumple to be there at this exact moment.   
“Are you alright?” Peter asked. He had started to hover as soon as she hit her third trimester. She appreciated the concern but it was irritating her.  
“Not in the slightest.” She replied and walked in. Rose saw Rumple and Belle immediately. She stopped him before he could vanish. With a wave of her hand, he was frozen from the neck down.   
“Is this really necessary, mother?” Rumple asked, annoyed. Rose nodded.   
“You left me no choice. I came here to try and make things right between us. Look, this isn’t my ideal situation either but things happen. I’m sorry. I don’t want you to feel like we abandoned you again. I love you and that’s not going to change. I just want…ow!” Rose yelled, a hand flying to her abdomen. Peter was at her side and trying to hold her up.  
“I just want us to be a family.” Rose continued through breaths.   
“We need to get you to the hospital.” Belle exclaimed.  
A couple days later   
Rose was in labor for twenty-six hours and threatened her husband with multiple fatalities and called him some colorful names. Rose broke Peter’s hand but he fixed it himself. He had taken it all in stride. After twenty-six hours, they welcomed their baby girl into the world. Peter hadn’t set her down all day. He let Rose sleep through the night, insisting that he could take care of the baby. Rumple and Belle came to visit. Along with some of their friends. Rumple was silent. He hadn’t said a word. Rose and Peter had both made comments about how different it was to have a child now.   
“This is so much more sanitary and comfortable. Apparently there’s medicine to dull the pain. I literally gave birth to Rumple on the floor of our cottage with nothing to dull the pain. I was in labor for two days. I had gotten up to walk around, in hopes that it would speed the process along, and I had to sit on a blanket on the floor because I wouldn’t have made it to the bed.” Rose stated. Belle was holding the baby and trying to get Rumple to at least look at his sister.   
“Your sister is a day old and you are still the biggest baby here.” Belle chastised. Rumple sighed and took his sister from Belle. Rose’s heart melted. It was obvious that she had won him over the instant that he looked her in the eyes.  
“What’s her name?” Rumple asked.   
“Goldilocks.” Rose replied.   
The End.


End file.
